Naruto: Tale of the Samsara Sword
by kuroishuuha
Summary: As he took his final breath he was left thinking his burden was lifted...but as souls stir and treacherous plots arise, he will have to take up the sword and fight once again...Samsara awakens (Re-written)
1. chapter 1

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR BLEACH

The strength left his body and with it, the ability to stay standing also left him. His knees buckled and collapsed underneath him; the cold and unforgiving ground came closer and closer into view, but he never hit the ground. A pair of strong arms wrapped around him and gently laid him down, still keeping him in the arms. Through his blurry vision he could make out the dark figures of the people gathered around him; he let a smile cross his features at the sight of so many people that cared for him. He tried to form words but felt the thick coagulation of blood building in his throat; he felt some of it trickle down his chin and saw the eyes of his precious people widen and fill with tears. The person holding him tightened their grip on his body, as if holding him tighter would prevent what was to come. He felt hot tears land on his cheek and felt his own eyes widen.

Bringing a shaking hand up to the cheek of the person, he wiped away the tears, leaving a trail of blood. The person desperately grasped his hand, as if to prevent it from falling back down, as if holding the hand would keep him in the world a little longer. The hands that held his were shaking as he felt hot tears run down his hand.

"No-no…please, don't…please don't die! Please, I'm begging you, don't leave us, please! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, so please…I'm begging you, don't die!"

His eyes fluttered, the energy to keep them open quickly leaving his body, but for the sake of the person, he tried to keep them open a little longer. He could feel his breathing slow as he felt the blood continue to pour out of his body. When he felt a warm sensation on his wound, he grasped the hand and shook his head in a silent command.

"Don't cry, please don't cry, not for me"

There was no response, only the tightening of the grip on his hand

"It's time to let me go…"

"No-no-no, I won't, never…I'll never let you go…I won't make the same mistake again, so please, forgive me and stay alive"

"Please…if you truly care for me…let me go. It's my time; I must go"

"Why are you giving into this so easily?! Where's the real you?! Why…why would you be so selfish as to leave us alone? Don't you care about us?"

"I'm tired, so very tired. Please, I'm begging you…let me go. I'm so tired, my body, my heart, my soul…they are all tired. You don't know how exhausting it is right now for me, so, please, as my friend, let me go. As a last request, see me off with a smile, please?"

He felt himself being gently lowered to the ground and felt the grip on his hand loosen. Letting out a breath of relief and gratitude, he smiled once more at the people who stared at him. When he saw the tears in their eyes he felt a pang of guilt, but as he watched, he saw each and every one of them wipe away their tears and let a smile cross their features

_Those smiles…how nice would it be to be able to keep those smiles on their faces forever…But right now, I am so tired…so I want to rest_

The people surrounding him gave a small nod of approval

"Thank you…"

With those last words, Uzuamaki-Namikaze Naruto passed on from the world of the living, leaving the world with a smile upon his face. It was amazing at how relaxed and at ease Naruto seemed in death, as if a heavy burden was lifted from his soul

A pale hand gently came to rest upon the eyelids and draw them closed

Uchiha Sasuke stood up and faced the crowd of shinobi, his head down to hide the silent tears

"Let's go, we need to bury the dead and reorganize our villages, it was what he would have wanted anyway"

With one last look at the body of his best friend and brother in all but blood, the last Uchiha turned and walked away from the dark shadows and into the open clearing; the warmth of the sun shined on his face

"Good Night and Sleep well…Naruto, when you wake up…let's meet again"

* * *

><p>There was only darkness around him, but it was a comforting darkness, the type that is seen right before one falls asleep. As he floated in the comforting darkness, he could feel the time pass by, and with it, the memories of his life also floated around him<p>

Then, as if a switch was thrown, an overwhelming amount of suffering penetrated his safe darkness. It was not his suffering but the suffering of others. The cries of pain, anger, hatred, fear, and betrayal and circled around him, suffocating him

Their voices pleaded to him to save them from their pain, pleaded to him to give them their justice, pleaded to him to save their loved ones from the future that was coming

Pain, anger, loneliness, betrayal, fear, hatred

Pain, anger, loneliness, betrayal, fear, hatred

Pain, anger, loneliness, betrayal, fear, hatred

Pain, anger, loneliness, betrayal, fear, hatred

Pain, anger, loneliness, betrayal, fear, hatred

Pain, anger, loneliness, betrayal, fear, hatred

Pain, anger, loneliness-

With a gasp, his eyes snapped open…

* * *

><p>Finding himself on a futon in a spacious room, he looked around in a dazed state. Looking at the foot of the futon, there was a change of clothes. On his left, there was an opened door, revealing a bathroom. Gathering the clothes in his arms, he slowly made his way to the restroom to wash away the sweat that had accumulated on his body<p>

When he opened the door fully, he found himself staring at his reflection in the mirror and let out a soft chuckle before stepping into the bath, which was more of a hot spring

He poured the water over himself and gently washed his body with the soaps and other products he found already stocked in the bathroom. It was relaxing and invigorating at the same time, as if he was moving around for the first time in a long time

Taking a deep breath, he lowered himself fully into the water and watched in fascination as the bubbles from his mouth escaped to the top. From the water, he could see the surface, but it looked completely different, like an illusion that was shimmering right before his eyes

The bright light from the lighting looked like the sun

He reached out a hand, as if to grasp it, and found himself being pulled up and out of the water. Strangely enough, he didn't panic and just let the person dry his body…

"You've been asleep for a long time"

"I know"

The figure handed him his clothes and helped him slip it on, tying the sash and securing the robes. The mysterious person then grabbed a towel and started drying his hair, quickly and gently.

"Are you ready for this? You could wait a little longer if you wanted"

"It's fine, I've been asleep to long…besides there are people I want to see in this new world"

As the person behind him finished braiding the golden locks, azure eyes opened and stared deep into the other's eyes

"I'm ready…"

"Then I welcome you into this world…my king"

* * *

><p>Naruto read through a scroll as he rested his head against the trunk of a tree. The shadows of the leaves danced on his face as the wind blew through his hair. The sun, or more accurately the artificial sun, was warm and bright. In all the time he has been there, Naruto has not once seen any clouds or rain and it unsettled him because the weather was a little too perfect for his tastes.<p>

"It seems that this world is about to be thrown into chaos…"

Naruto glanced through the scroll once more, his sharp eyes narrowing in thought

"Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to do this now…you still have another century or so before you need to act"

"I learned a long time ago that it is better to act as if there is no tomorrow than it is to act as if there are endless tomorrows…besides, it would be suspicious if I showed up at a critical point. I want to make friends, form bonds, and make a place in this world, no matter how transient it may be."

The Shinigami nodded, his masked face staring deep into Naruto's soul

"I knew there was a reason I picked you to be my successor"

Naruto nodded and closed his eyes in thought before speaking once more

"I want to ask something from you"

"What is it?"

"Right now, as the next Soul King…my power would be too noticeable so I want to ask you to seal my powers so that I can grow along side my powers. I want to start at the same level as everyone else"

"Very well"

* * *

><p>Naruto took a deep breath and allowed his body to change into a new form, after all a new beginning is nothing without some changes<p>

His golden blonde hair turned into a rich shade of scarlet, alternating between fiery red and burnt orange in the sunlight. The locks of his scarlet hair reached his lower back in layers, as a small reminder of his mother and Jiraiya…though his hair was much calmer than the old pervert's style, though two locks of hair did stick up stubbornly, reminiscent of a fox's ears

His cerulean eyes darkened into a rich shade of purple, with slit pupils…a small reminder of his bond with Kurama

His pale tanned skin turned into a milky white as his whisker marks disappeared

He then felt himself shrink to that of a child's body no older than thirteen

When he finished his transformation, he gladly accepted the newly fitted clothes and tied his hair into a casual pony-tail, the dark blue ribbon contrasting nicely with his scarlet hair

"Why did you change your appearance?"

"Even though you said that people lose their memories when they get into soul society, I don't want to take any chances, especially if there are some records left over from my time"

"I guess that makes sense…oh well, I wish you good luck…and try not to get into too much trouble. As soon as you leave this dimension, I won't be able to act directly anymore…the only thing I will be able to do is set up a cover story for you. You will be the only survivor of a clan massacre-"

"Are you trying to turn me into the teme…I mean you know how bad he turned out"

The Shinigami continued as if he didn't hear the former blonde

"The only mentions of your clan will be in history books…your clan will have been wiped out in the last great rebellion for siding with Seireitei. The only thing left of your clan is this crest-"

There was a slight rustling as the Shinigami brought out the crest he was supposed to be holding on to. It was a small spiral with intricate symbols spreading out from it. Naruto stared at the crest, a tick of irritation forming on his temple

"You..you're doing this on purpose aren't you?"

The Shinigami let out a small chuckle

"Somewhat…The crest is actually a good cover up story for the seal on your stomach."

Naruto sighed and reluctantly accepted the crest and tied it on his waist, underneath his sash. There was a small glow as the crest rested into place.

"What was up with the glow?"

"The crest will help me keep an eye on you in case I need to intervene. It will also help seal your powers…think of it as a backup just in case something goes wrong."

Naruto nodded his gratitude and swung his pack over his shoulder. With one last look at the great being, he walked through the portal and into his new life within Soul Society…

It was dark when he came into the dimension; the lights were off and the street was empty. Deciding not to interrupt the sleeping people, Naruto made his way into the forest and climbed up the highest tree to sleep.

As he slept, Naruto felt himself being pulled into his own mind, and let a small smile cross his features

_Finally…I've been waiting_

* * *

><p>When he opened his eyes, Naruto found himself staring at a forest clearing, and just outside the forest he could make out a valley with a giant waterfall. Underneath the waterfall was a giant statue of a beast-like creature; its ten tails were spread out, and upon the tips of the tails stood another statue of a beast. On the ninth tail, Naruto saw the statue of a nine-tailed fox and jumped up to it. Almost instinctively he knew what to do. Reaching out his hand, he placed it straight over the heart of the fox and waited. Warmth spread through his hand; suddenly he felt a thump underneath his fingertips. Another thump pulsed and Naruto realized it was the beating of a heart. Two more thumps and the stone cracked, revealing a majestic and fearsome fox.<p>

The fox then began changing right in front of his eyes as it gained a more humanoid figure

When the dust cleared, Naruto stood gaping at the man that stood in front of him

His bright red hair seemed to glow underneath the false moonlight; his pale skin was as light as the moon itself, two fox ears twitched upon the man's head while nine fiery tails swayed behind the man

"You're late Naruto"

"Sorry Kurama…I had trouble waking up"

Kurama seemed to twitch at the statement and brought a hand to whack Naruto across the head when a hand stopped him

"Now, Now Kurama-chan…give Naru-chan a break"

Kurama's eyes widened as he stared at the man who was holding his arm

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Naruto-chan…how vulgar of you"

"Answer my question and then I might show you some respect"

"If you must know…I don't really have a name anymore, but you know me as the Rikudou Sennin"

* * *

><p>I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR BLEACH<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

There was only a shocked silence as Naruto stared at the man who called himself the Sage of the Six Paths. A single leaf blew past the trio, but it was ignored in favor of Naruto staring at the man who singlehandedly defeated the Juubi and created the Shinobi world. The most distinguishing feature on the man were his bright purple eyes resembling the ripples on water. Naruto had seen the Rinnegan before, but the power from the other Rinnegan he had seen paled compared to the original. Looking into the eyes, Naruto felt as if his soul was being searched, as if his soul was forced to lay bare all the answers to the unheard questions

Taking a deep breath, Naruto met the eyes of the Sage once more, his eyes steeled in their determination and will

**"I like your eyes Naruto-chan"**

The sound of the Sage's voice broke Kurama was enough to shake Kurama from his stupor as the fox-like man shook off the Sage's hand, thousands of silent questions in his eyes

**"Sorry Kurama…it must have been tough for you…for all of you"**

Kurama's eyes shimmered, but he held in the tears as a smile passed his lips

_**"Che…who do you take us for old man? We've been fine…and it was all thanks to your teachings"**_

**"I'm relieved to hear that"**

Naruto cut in, his face a picture of confusion…

"What on earth is going on here?!"

The Sage turned to Naruto, his rippling eyes all seeing.

**"You've probably already heard from Shinigami-sama about the shinigami in this world and how they use swords to kill and attack creatures of negative energy called Hollows. In this world, as you know, each shinigami has a sword or a pair of swords in which his inner soul lies and in which he derives the power to slay these creatures. Think of the sword as a chakra blade, except instead of chakra it is Reiryoku. Similar to chakra it is within every person and varies in amount in every person. One can train his Reiryoku to increase and can also use it to perform spells known as kido…in our world it would be known as jutsu. Each kido has an incantation similar to hand-signs, but with enough practice, one can skip the incantation."**

Naruto nodded, some understanding beginning to fill his features as the Sage explained the concept of the new world. But one thought still lingered…

"That doesn't explain why the both of you are here"

**"Each person's sword, or zanpaktou, is the physical representation of one's soul weapon. Depending on the person and the person's attributes, the zanpaktou varies. Each person gets only one zanpaktou, though there are cases where it is one soul but two bodies…back to the topic…We, Kurama and I…and the other biju are here because before you died, your soul was closely ingrained with our souls. For that very reason, Shinigami-sama made it so that we will help you in this new world; we will become your new weapons, we will become your friends and comrades"**

"If what you say is true, then what of the others…why are they still in stone?"

Sennin seemed hesitant to talk, but knowing that Naruto would find out one way or another…

**"As you know…nearly all the Jinchuuriki except for you and Bee were killed during the extraction. Even the young Kazekage died before he was revived by that old lady. Because they died in such a painful way, and because their souls were literally torn apart, they wandered the world and eventually had their souls corrupted. In order to free the beasts from stone, you must hunt their Hollow form with your zanpaktou…or at least be near when it is slain so your zanpaktou can absorb the remnants of the soul"**

"Isn't that somewhat gruesome?"

Kurama laughed and swung an arm around Naruto, bringing the smaller male close

_**"Don't worry…we'll be here for you"**_

"Thanks Kurama…for everything"

_**"I should be the one thanking you; but beggars can't be choosers…now get out of here; it is nearly dawn"**_

* * *

><p>Naruto opened his eyes to see the sun rising in the distance, its orange glow in the fine grey mist of the morning signaled the start of a new day. He could hear people waking up and getting ready for their day, whether for work or to just laze around. Naruto was content to just lay in the tree all day and stare at the life of the village. He let his eyes close as he once again felt the lull of sleep.<p>

A sudden explosion shook him from his daze

From his position in the tree, Naruto could make out rising smoke from just outside the village. A few seconds later, he heard a roaring howl that shook his very core. Eyes widening, Naruto jumped out of the tree and landed safely on the ground, his robes fluttering behind him. As he dusted himself off Naruto searched for the source of the howl. He let his senses spread out, searching for the source…

His eyes widened when he felt the presence of multiple shinigami trying to defeat what appeared to be a Menos Grande

_What's a Menos doing here?! It couldn't have gotten in unless someone opened a portal for it!_

As he was about to rush forward and help the shinigami, Naruto felt another presence…the presence of…

Sighing to himself Naruto held himself back from trying to go and help, knowing that _**those **_people would be able to help. Taking a deep breath, Naruto walked out of the forest he was in and into the village where people would stop and stare for a moment before going back to their business

As he walked through the village, he vaguely noticed that his hunger was increasing…but unfortunately he had no money on him as he had not expected to need any

* * *

><p><em>Somewhere…<em>

"Ah, that's right…I forgot to tell him that the more reiryoku a person has, the hungrier they become…oh well, not like it will kill him or anything…right?"

Hooded figures stared at their leader warily, the atmosphere in the mood turning into disbelief at the personality of their leader

_And this is the great being that is feared by all creatures?!_

* * *

><p>Naruto kicked a can in frustration<p>

"The damned old man!"

The can sailed through the air, turning circles as it flew, its metal covering glinting in the sunlight…

Suddenly it turned quiet as the can continued its flight…straight towards an overly dressed…and corpulent man. The can hit him in the face with enough force to knock him backwards and though a brick wall. There was a dead silence as everyone stared at Naruto then at the man lying in a heap and back to Naruto once again

A young woman ran towards him and thanked him for saving her before running away from the scene

The man stirred and once he awoke, he had a pissed expression on his face

"You damned brat! I'm going to slice you up"

The scenes finally clicked in Naruto's mind: the unnatural silence as the can flew, the girl running away from the man, the girl's clothes in disarray, the man who was overly dressed…

Naruto stalked towards the man, his face blank as the shadow of a nine-tailed fox seemed to swirl around him before disappearing

The man seemed to sweat

"Wh-what do you think you are doing?! How dare you come near me…how dare you kick that can towards me?!"

Naruto stalked forward, his face neutral as he let a cruel smirk pass over his face

"Ne…hold still…I'm a little pissed off so I want to beat you up a little"

"You?! Don't make me laugh! What can a brat that looks like a ten year old do to me? You shorty!"

_Shorty…shorty…shorty…shorty?!_

Behind Naruto a shadow of death rose; the aura behind him was black and malicious as the shadow seemed to stare with burning red eyes while holding a glinting silver scythe; it seemed to laugh as its eyes began to glow eerily

For the next hour, the only sounds that could be heard throughout the village was the pained screams of the man as he begged for mercy…

* * *

><p>Naruto sighed happily as he finished his tenth bowl of ramen. The man might have been a pig but at least he carried around a decent amount of money<p>

Suddenly he heard a startled gasp

"Ah…it's the little boy who saved me!"

Naruto felt a tick in his eye at the words 'little boy' but let it go as he knew he did in fact look like a little boy

Turning his head he was met face to face with the young woman that he saved; his breath caught in his throat as he stared at the woman in front of him

"Ayame-nee-san?

"Eh…? No, no…my name is Ayumi, named after my grandmother Ayame"

_So she married and had kids…? I'm happy for her_

"Oh…is that so?"

"Yep…"

"Is she still alive?"

"I don't know…mother said she lived in the next village over but I never got a chance to see her…I might never get the chance to see her. This is my last day in this village…I will be moving to another village that is further away from here"

"I see…then I wish you well on your journey nee-san"

The woman nodded once more at him before making her way towards her new home…all the while wondering about the strange boy that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere

* * *

><p>Naruto held a hand up to his face to block the sunlight, a travelling pack swung over his shoulders as he stared off into the distance<p>

He made his way into town and stopped at a small tea shop to get something cold to drink before he would make his way to his destination

As he sat down with his cold juice and dango, Naruto asked around for any information regarding the person he was searching for…

"_Ah…that woman? No one really sees her anymore…she's probably dead"_

"_The crazy lady? Why are you searching for her?"_

"_I think I know her…she used to come by here a lot…I haven't see her much"_

"_Apparently she lives in the forest, just outside the village"_

"_I heard she's a monster who eats little children"_

"_I heard she's actually a ghost who is waiting for her lover"_

"_I heard..."_

"_I think…."_

"_She's probably…."_

It went on and on, no one giving any decent information other than the rumors floating around

* * *

><p>As Naruto stopped by a restaurant for some dinner, he sat next to an old man<p>

Letting out a weary sigh, Naruto ordered some milk and some bread

"What's wrong kid?"

Gulping down the milk, Naruto stared into the empty glass watching the left over condensation drip down the cup

"I'm looking for someone…"

"Aren't we all…"

Naruto shook his head, his fiery hair swishing back and forth

"No…I'm looking for someone named Ayame"

The old man paused in drinking his sake, glancing at Naruto from the corner of his eyes

"You're looking for Ayame-san?"

Naruto turned his head towards the old man at such a fast pace there was a small booming noise as he broke through the sound barrier

"You know her?!"

Glancing warily at the young child next to him, the old man nodded his head all the while subtly scooting further away from the excited boy

"I do…she lives on the outskirts of the village by herself. She's been alone for a long time…it's nice that someone is finally going to see her"

"It must have been lonely…"

The old man nodded once more before standing up

"Well, I need to be off…tell Ayame-chan that I'll greet her soon…good-bye Naruto-chan"

Naruto turned his head towards the old man but found nothing there…

* * *

><p>"Who…?"<p>

Naruto knocked on the door of the old house, his heart thumping

"Come in…"

As Naruto entered the house he was horrified to see the dust and grime in the house. He heard a weak chuckle and glanced around until his gaze landed on a figure on some blankets in the middle of the room.

"I know it may not be the cleanest place…but I can see that you are in need of a room for the night, so please make yourself at home"

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Naruto nodded

"Thank you"

* * *

><p>In the end, he ended up staying for a couple weeks, much to the displeasure of Kurama. He knew he had to get things going as soon as possible, but he wanted this one small freedom before he was shackled to his path.<p>

He cleaned up the house and did the laundry; he even cooked the meals. She had protested his work but he had insisted to help keep her house clean and to take care of her

Naruto glanced at the woman in futon on the floor. She beckoned him closer and clumsily tied a ribbon into his hair

"There…now your hair looks even more beautiful when it is tamed"

"Obaa-chan…thank you, I'll repay you somehow"

"Idiot…gifts aren't meant to be repaid"

"…a gift…"

He recalled a random memory from a long time ago

* * *

><p><em>A steaming bowl of Ramen was placed in front of little Naruto who looked up with confusion in his eyes. A young Ayame smiled at him encouragingly…<em>

"_Onee-san, I can't pay for this"_

_Ayame nodded as is she knew that already and pushed the bowl closer to Naruto and handed him a pair of chopsticks_

"_I know…now go on, ramen is meant to be eaten hot"_

"_But…"_

"_It's alright…you come here nearly every day; think of it as a present from the restaurant"_

_Young Naruto took the bowl, his stomach growling_

"_I promise when I become a great ninja I will never let you give me stuff for free…I will pay you back…no, I will pay you double!"_

_He felt a fist hit him in the head and looked up through his tears to see a smiling Ayame_

"_Idiot…gifts aren't meant to be repaid"_

"_A…gift…?"_

"_Yes…I don't need to be repaid. Besides, someone needs to take care of you at least a little"_

_Naruto seemed to think for a moment before his blue eyes lit up_

"_Then…then…I'll marry you! When I become a great ninja and if you haven't found a husband by then…I will marry you and take care of you in return!"_

_Ayame started to laugh, she laughed and she laughed as tears ran down her face_

"_I'm serious!"_

_Naruto's eyebrows were drawn together as he stared at her as seriously as a young child was capable of. The image was so cute that she laughed harder and ruffled his hair_

"_You'll have to grow a little taller Naruto…I like my men tall!"_

"_But that isn't a no…right?"_

_Laughter was his answer as little Naruto huffed in his seat_

* * *

><p>"You know…obaa-chan, you remind me of someone I knew a long time ago"<p>

"Do I now…? Was she pretty?"

"I admit there were plenty of women who were much more stunning than she was, in fact, she was pretty average and you would have missed her if you had walked by her."

"Then why do I remind you of her?"

"Because you are both kind…in you I can see the soul of the woman who took care of me when no one else would"

"Did you love her…?"

"In a way I guess I did…she was one of the first people to show me kindness, so I guess in my childish way, I began to love her…I one time told her jokingly after she had given me some food on the house that if she hadn't married by the time I was an adult, I would make her my bride"

The old woman laughed…and Naruto let a smile grow on his lips

"You are a funny young man…you need to grow taller if you are going to marry"

Naruto blushed all the way to his roots, his face nearly blending in with his hair at the comment

"I don't think I will marry though…I wasn't able to keep my promise"

"I'm sure she doesn't mind"

They stayed in silence for a while, enjoying each other's company when he heard Kurama in his mind

_**Naruto…when are you going to the Academy? I thought you had promised to take up your role again**_

_Can't I have this small freedom?_

_**You know the answer to that already Naruto…**_

* * *

><p>All the time he was there, he would look into her face and see the face of the young woman who was so kind to him<p>

From her crow's feet, he could see the smile line around the eyes; her wrinkled and spotted skin revealed to him the days she spent in the sun helping her father with the shop; he calloused hands were the caring and hard working hands that he knew so well…the hands that had fed him when he often didn't have enough to pay for a meal

But even after staying with her for a couple of weeks, she had shown no sign of recognition or suspicion when he acted like his old self…and it hurt as Naruto began to realize that people who did really did forget who they were in life

Once again…he was alone…all the bonds he had worked so hard to form…were destroyed. And the hardest part was the fact that he would see his old friends once again but they would not recognize him…to them, he would be another face in the crowd while he would see their faces in every single one of his dreams

Naruto sighed and rested his head on the wall of the house

_**Naruto...don't you think it is time to leave and go to the academy?**_

_I know it is time to leave soon…but let me stay just a little longer. I want to enjoy this freedom just a little longer before I have to walk that road once again_

_**But…it is the only road you know how to walk…I know it is hard, but sometime you have to accept that there are things that you cannot change**_

_Don't you think I know that?! I fought all my life against fate…and even though I know people say there are things that cannot change, I will fight until I can't fight anymore…I will not take this lying down…I did that too much…besides, I want to see her off_

_**Are you saying that she…?!**_

_Yeah…so let me stay to see her off…just until I know she has passed on…until I know that she is safe and has entered the cycle of reincarnation, so that I can pray that she is reborn in s gentle world_

…_**Naruto…**_

**Now, now Kurama…don't sulk…Naruto-chan needs this closure and we as his zanpaktou must support him…besides, you can sympathize with him can't you?**

_**Fine!**_

With the conversation over, Naruto intended to make his way to the kitchen when he heard a loud explosion just outside the house. Dropping everything, Naruto rushed outside and came face to face with a Hollow who stared at him with crazed red eyes

Gulping, Naruto slowly backed away, intending to lure it away from the house. As if sensing his idea, the Hollow raised a giant clawed hand and swept the house of its foundation, causing the roof to crumble down to a heap

"No!"

The Hollow, as if sensing his distress began to laugh

Feeling ice cold fury, Naruto felt the winds around him stir as if sympathizing with his anger…but as soon as the anger came, it left. He had spent too much time fighting against the cycle of hatred to give into it…so with all the will power he could muster, Naruto forgave the Hollow because deep in his heart he knew that it was merely doing what its instincts told it to do

"I was hoping to live a little like this a little longer…the way I wanted to…I wanted to be selfish just this once, but now I know…I was and still am a Jinchuuriki; I am a human sacrifice. I must sacrifice my freedom for the good of the many…that is the way it has been and will be"

Naruto took a deep breath and let his mind empty of all frivolous thoughts; the wind picked up around him once again

* * *

><p>Deep within his soul, Kurama and Sennin glanced sadly as fire began to rage in the forest, only to be put out by pouring rain. The once beautiful forest was slightly destroyed…its beauty marred by hidden scars, yet it was the imperfection that made the forest all the more beautiful as the sound of the waterfall was heard in the distance<p>

"_**I wish that you could have enjoyed your freedom a little more Naruto…"**_

Sennin raised a sake cup and watched a single cherry blossom landed in it; in Kurama's cup, a blood red moon shone in the night sky…

The winds picked up as the cherry blossoms blew around Kurama

"**I'll see you later Kurama"**

"_**I'm off…"**_

* * *

><p>When Naruto's eyes snapped open, his pupils were much more slit than before as his eyes took on a crimson color with a golden outline around the iris<p>

"Though you curse this path of sacrifice and resent the shackles of faith, release your hatred and carry the burden; come forth Jinchuuriki"

There was a bright red glow as a sphere of energy appeared before Naruto. The sphere then opened into a bright crimson lotus and bloomed, the petals slowly transforming into an elegant blade. The blade was gleaming silver, sometimes looking black in the direct sunlight. On the blade was an etching of kanji spelling out the word 'sacrifice'. The handle was a crimson red with nine long tassels that wrapped around Naruto's wrist, almost as if chaining him to the sword

Naruto stared at the Hollow with crimson eyes as the forest burned

"Don't worry…it will be quick…"

Before the Hollow could even reply, Naruto disappeared from view and appeared right above the Hollow, his sword raised high

As he slashed his sword down, a wave of energy erupted from the tip and surrounded the Hollow. As it encased the Hollow, it became crystallized before shattering. The then disintegrated, creating a crimson mist

"At the level that I am at now, this is the best that I can do…an attack of pure physical energy…I can't even unleash the weakest attack"

Naruto closed his eyes and let the power leave his system, the sword slowly disappearing.

* * *

><p>He rushed over to where Ayame lay and hurried to get her help. He made a move to stand up but a hand on his sleeve stopped him. Ayame stared at him and shook her head, signaling that it was her time. He watched as he spirit particles began to separate, creating a beautiful display of light<p>

"Obaa-san!"

"Thank you Naruto…for seeing me off"

"I could have done more…but I was too selfish. I wanted to see a familiar face and I put you in danger…now you're dying!"

Ayame shook her head, her grey hair turning into a warm chestnut as her face turned youthful once more

"You've done enough Naruto…besides, you took care of me…you've repaid you debt"

Naruto sat in shock before trying to get out his last words to her

"There's a man…he'll be waiting for you…so…have a safe trip!"

Ayame smiled

"Thank you Naruto…for everything…for being a Jinchuuriki. It must be painful for you, but I know if it is you, then nothing will be impossible. You will overcome the pain and be a great person!"

* * *

><p>The people whispered as Naruto walked up to the gate. They stared at his strange appearance and his nonchalant attitude. Glancing from side to side, Naruto could already make out the cliques that had formed. Judging by people's physical attributes he could pinpoint the fighters, healers, and kido experts. He smiled at the similarities to his old life<p>

He was absorbed in his observations that he didn't notice the cool dark eyes a noble watching his movements in confusion

Naruto sighed and looked up to the giant gate

"So…this is the famed Academy?"

* * *

><p>I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR BLEACH<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto stood in front of the large gate, his purple eyes narrowed in concentration. The gate didn't seem much at first, but Naruto's trained and keen eyes could make out the barrier emitting from the gate. The gate would keep out Hollows and unwanted guests but would allow ease of access to the students, teachers, and other shinigami. That was where the loophole came in…if a shinigami decided to go rogue, the Academy wouldn't be safe, if a Hollow took over a shinigami's body then that Hollow would be able to access the Academy as easily as another student.

_Oh well…not everything can be perfect_

Taking a deep breath, Naruto pushed open the gate and walked onto the Academy grounds, ignoring the stares and whispers of the people around him. He knew it was very rare to get a student to apply without the recommendation of a shinigami, as it usually implied arrogance, but if he let a shinigami examine him, the shinigami would immediately know that he had already activated his shikai, and he couldn't have that…By using a sob story here, a few hero worships there, and a show of some potential…viola, he was admitted into the Academy. Looking around, Naruto could see that some of the students were younger than everyone else, and it made him sad to see that their childhood of innocence had to be taken away so fast…

_**You do know that you are one of the younger ones…correct?**_

_I am not THAT young, besides…I am far older than I look_

_**Oh, of course, pardon me…I meant one of the shorter ones**_

_Shut up Kurama_

_**Hahahahahahaha….you're such a Shorty! From now on, I shall call you Chibi Naruto…Chibito for short**_

**Now, now Kurama…let's not antagonize our wielder…**

As his two zanpaktou talked within his mind, Naruto took a deep breath and entered the room of his first class, History of Seireitei…

* * *

><p>Naruto took his seat along with everyone else in the classroom. He sat near the back with two other people, a silver haired person who looked to be about a year older than him and a black haired person who looked to be about the same age as the silver haired person. Glancing around, Naruto could tell that the three of them were the youngest in the classroom. Deciding to introduce himself, Naruto held turned to his two classmates and inclined his head. As he opened his mouth to begin speaking, Naruto realized he needed a name. He wanted to keep a semblance of his real name but realized that a name based off of a noodle topping wouldn't gain him any respect<p>

_Naruto means fishcake but it also means Maelstrom…A Maelstrom is something like a storm…so how about-_

"Kazama Arashi, age twelve…Blood type B and you two are…?"

The silver haired one answered first, his closed eyes staring into Naruto's own eyes. Though his eyes were closed, Naruto could see the amusement in them

"Ichimaru Gin, age thirteen…Blood type…well that would ruin the fun if I told you"

As Gin finished his introduction, both the Naruto-now Arashi- stared at the black haired person, waiting for his introduction. Knowing he wasn't getting out of introducing himself, the black haired person sighed before glancing in their direction

"Kuchiki Byakuya, age thirteen…Blood type O…"

They exchanged formalities as they waited for the lesson to begin. As they introduced themselves, Naruto-or Arashi- learned that Kuchiki was the name of a Noble House that was tasked with compiling and protecting the history of Souls Society

"That means you have an advantage over us normal folks…ne, Byakuya?"

Byakuya twitched at the informality

"You barely know me yet you address me so informally? I am of the Kuchiki Clan, you should address me as Kuchiki-san"

Naruto waved him off, his scarlet hair swaying with the slight movement

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…"

Byakuya felt the urge to bang his head on his desk, but he is a Kuchiki and it would be unbecoming of him to act so low and uncouth. Gin was laughing in the corner, his laughter reminding Naruto of the yips of a fox who just tricked someone

* * *

><p>Naruto stretched his arms and let out a breath of relief as he, Byakuya, and Gin left the classroom for their lunch break. All around them people were already grouping up as heading towards the school courtyard and towards the cafeteria. The one good thing about the school was that the dorms were nice and that the food was free…But the luxury worried him. Naruto saw how some of the other people in Rukongai and other places were living while the shinigami and students had free meal and board. If Soul Society could do this much for students, why couldn't it also do at least half for the other denizens of Soul Society?<p>

"Kazama-chan?"

Naruto's eye twitched at the suffix added to his name by the silver haired man. While Gin was easy going and relatively easy to talk to, there was something about him that made Naruto uneasy around him…in addition to the habit of Gin's…the habit of calling nearly everyone younger than him with the suffix "chan"

"Hai…? Ichimaru-san?"

"It's your turn to order"

Naruto's eyes widened in shock before confirming that it indeed was his time to order; the other students stared at him in annoyance. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that he had walked all the way to the cafeteria. Deciding not to annoy the other students any further, Naruto quietly picked out some bread and soup before walking with Byakuya and Gin to a table

They ate in comfortable silence, only exchanging small talk about the class every now and then. From what he garnered, both Byakuya and Gin were signed up to take the advanced combat course, meaning the only classes they had together were the basic classes, meaning history and rules and regulations regarding conduct of shinigami

"Ne…Kazama-chan, what were you thinking of that had you spacing out the whole time?"

At the question, even Byakuya stopped eating to glance curiously at Naruto-who they knew as Arashi

Naruto seemed to hesitate for a moment, but he eventually decided to tell the two people sitting with him, after all, they were basically the only two people to talk with him

"I was wondering why we, students and shinigami, get to live in luxury when the other people of Soul Society are living poverty. If half the money that was used for the luxury items here at the academy and at the barracks were used for relief programs, then there wouldn't be so many unsatisfied people"

Byakuya quietly placed down his chopsticks and cleared his throat, garnering the attention of Gin and Naruto

"Kazama-san, while what you say may be true, there is a reason that there are districts in Soul Society that are more impoverished than others. I am betting that you are one of the few who have died before entering Soul Society before becoming a student? Most here are born in Soul Society and are naturally more adept to becoming shinigami"

Naruto paused, deciding whether or not to tell them…but he compromised on a half truth and half lie

"Actually…I was born in Soul Society away from the other districts…"

Before either Byakuya or Gin could speak, a cheerful voice yelled across the cafeteria

"Gin! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

A girlish figure made its way through the crowd before stopping in front of their table. She was pretty, and her hair was a calmer shade of red than his own. She had pale blue eyes and a mature figure…someone beautiful but not his type. He had long since forgone romantic relationships with other people…

"Rangiku-chan! There you are, I've been wondering where you were."

The girl, Rangiku, playfully punched Gin on the arm…sending him sprawling across the floor. When Gin looked up from his position on the floor, he quickly stood up and tried to placate the enraged female

"You idiot! You were supposed to wait for me…but no, you had to go off on your own!"

Seeing that the two were making a scene and that the situation was about to get ugly, Naruto stood up, dragging Byakuya with him

"Rangiku-san, Ichimaru-san, it seems that this is a private conversation. Kuchiki-san and I will leave you two alone"

With that, Naruto began dragging the Kuchiki heir away from the scene

* * *

><p>"Why did you do that?"<p>

Naruto frowned, confusion on his face as he stared at the young Kuchiki

"I'm sorry, I was under the impression that you did not want to get involved in the situation given your status"

"That doesn't mean I don't want to watch him squirm trying to get himself out of the situation"

A few seconds passed before Naruto collected himself enough to began speaking. He spoke slowly and carefully, as if he was still trying to gain a hold of his thought

"You seem noble and proper…but you're actually a real bastard aren't you, Byakuya?"

Without warning, Byakuya brought forth the wooden katana, a bokken that all students were required to carry around as part of their training. He pointed the tip at Naruto's throat and glared menacingly

"Ka-za-ma…I'll kill you!"

With that, the chase was on…and thus began a semi-beautiful friendship

"Who the hell are you talking to?!"

Naruto laughed as he dodged another strike from the nobleman

* * *

><p>There was an awkward silence as the three sat together in the back of their classroom. Ironically enough, they had the first class of the day together and the last class of the day together. The reason it was awkward was because Gin still sported the bruises from Rangiku and was pouting about it…correction, he was pouting at them<p>

"You guys left me"

There as only silence

"I mean, I get that we aren't close friends, but I figured that having class and sharing lunch would mean something to the two of you…but I guess I mean nothing to you guys"

A depressing aura seemed to grow around Gin the longer the two made no comment. It was so thick that others in the classroom began to be affected. Finally, after the aura seemed to be visible, Naruto let out a strained laugh before turning to Gin in an attempt to vanquish the strange and depressing aura

"Ichimaru-san…I apologize for our rash behavior but I didn't want to intrude on your private moment"

A small grunt of agreement was heard from Byakuya

"You guys still left me…you didn't even ask if I wanted you guys gone"

_Think…think…think!_

Reaching into his bag, Naruto pulled out some snacks. There were some cookies, chips, fresh fruits, dried fruits, and a couple of sandwiches

There was an awkward silence at the amount of food Naruto had kept in his bag

"Would you like a dried persimmon as an apology?"

_Please accept it. Please accept it. PLEASE ACCEPT IT!_

* * *

><p>"So, why did'ya leave me all alone anyway?"<p>

Naruto rubbed his temple and stared at Gin who was happily eating his tenth persimmon. Naruto's eyes were shadowed and he was slumped over in exhaustion; Byakuya was looking no better. Although he may look harmless, Gin was actually someone you don't want to get on his bad side.

"I keep telling you…we didn't want to get involved in a private matter…"

"Oh, is that it? Why didn't you say so before?"

With that Gin took a bit out of his persimmon, ignoring the murderous aura behind Naruto and Byakuya. Before both could be charged with murder of a fellow comrade, the teacher made his appearance.

"Everyone sit down, class is about to begin!"

_Someday…somehow…I'll get you Ichimaru Gin!_

Was the thought of Kuchiki Byakuya and Kazama Arashi (Uzumaki Naruto)

* * *

><p>So went the first few weeks of the school year…<p>

* * *

><p>Naruto, Byakuya, and Gin had grown what people would call 'closer', but to them, it was a mutual way to find out each other's weakness and use it against the other. They were rivals. Gin and Byakuya were the two top students of the class, while Naruto was ironically deadlast. It wasn't because he was stupid or was weak; it was actually because he didn't try. His goal was to pass the required courses with a minimum, but excel in kido, specifically healing. Unohana Retsu, Captain of the Fourth Squad, is the second oldest shinigami, second only to the Captain Commander. Though he could get into the first, eighth, or even thirteenth divisions to get information, the best person to get the 'dirty; information would be Unohana Retsu…or better yet, he should call her Unohana Yachiru, the blood thirstiest and most violent Captain Seireitei has seen.<p>

**Oooh, Naruto-chan I'm scared of your mind…how devious!**

_**Ignore the old man, kit…I like your style…sly and devious, like a fox. You do me proud!**_

Naruto could practically see Kurama nodding his head while Sennin shook his head at Kurama nodding his head. Honestly…one would think that two age old spirits would be a little more mature, but no, he got stuck with two polar opposites as zanpaktou spirits

_Wait…if a zanpaktou represents someone's soul…does that mean I'm bipolar…or insane?!_

…

_Nah…no way_

* * *

><p>Naruto smiled at the group of students who walked by him and pointed at him then laughed at him. He held his smile until they left the clearing everyone was, going over to their group. By a twist of luck (he refused to believe in faith) he had been paired with Byakuya and Gin. Everyone was whispering that he would drag them down or that he would ride on their coat tails.<p>

_Smile…smile…smile_

"Alright listen up you worthless students, today is a survival test. You will be sent into the woods for a week with no food and water in a designated zone. You will have to find your own food and make your own shelter!"

Naruto nodded his head along with the rest of the students, and then paused…

Wait a moment…that voice sounded annoyingly familiar

_It couldn't be…_

When Naruto looked up to face one of the instructors, he heard a surprised yelp and the sound of someone falling. Everyone rushed towards the fallen shinigami. Naruto took his time to walk, making sure to have a tight grip on his bokken

The fat, overgrown…disgusting shinigami looked at him

"Ah…you're the brat from that time! Hah…bet you didn't know I was a shinigami, right? Well did you know that attacking a shinigami is a crime?!"

People started to whisper as some of the other shinigami stepped forward

"_I bet he lost"_

"_I bet he was stupid to think he could beat a shinigami…"_

The whispers went on, but Naruto held a smile in his place and leaned down to meet the shinigami's eye level. His eyes were closed in a happy smile, as sparkles seemed to float around him

"Why, I don't know what you are talking about shingami-san"

"Of course you do! You attacked me then went to the next town which was destroyed by a Hollow only a few weeks after you got there!"

Naruto leaned in closer, his smile brighter

"You must be mistaken. I have no clue what you are talking about. You might be mistaking me for someone else…"

"Like I could forget that disgusting shade of red you shorty!"

As soon as he said those words, the shinigami flinched back in fear at the menacing aura surrounding Naruto. What made it all the more menacing was the fact that Naruto still kept the smile on his face, a smile that looked calm and gentle…a smile that reminded everyone of Unohana Retsu

"It…was…a…mistake…right?"

The shinigami gulped. Before he could deny that it was a mistake, the shadow of death appeared behind Naruto with his black robes, gleaming red eyes, and shining silver scythe. The figure seemed to laugh as it raised its scythe even as its eyes lit into a bright crimson color. Around him he heard small growls and found himself surrounded by demon foxes, their ghostly figure holding him in place as what appeared to be the leader had it mouth around his throat, not biting down…but the shinigami knew that one word from its master and his head would be gone

"It…was…a…mistake…right?"

This time Naruto opened his eyes, revealing dark violet eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness around them. His smile remained the same, but with his eyes open…it became a sinister and dark smile

The shinigami in front of him gulped

"…Hai…please forgive me, I won't make the same mistake again"

Tears were streaming down the poor shinigami's face as he turned pale with fear. Naruto smiled a bright and happy smile that had the shinigami cry harder. He resisted the urge to flinch back when Naruto helped him up

"It's all right…people make mistakes all the time. Just don't let it happen again, not all people are as understanding as some"

The shinigami nodded before walking away

"Hey, where are you going?!"

The question came from another shinigami, who appeared to be the aforementioned one's superior

"To change my uniform…"

As the fat shinigami walked away, people leaned away from him before turning to stare at Naruto who had an innocent and bright smile on his face

"Poor guy, he must have fallen into a wet puddle"

* * *

><p>In the end, they managed to pass with the highest score…which garnered negative attention towards Naruto who merely shrugged the attention off, much to the displeasure of his two frie- rivals…they were rivals. He couldn't allow himself to befriend a rival…not again.<p>

_**Idiot brat, not everyone will betray you like the Uchiha brat…**_

**Besides Naruto-chan, Sasuke did end up coming back to the village…**

…_It still hurts…_

_**What still hurts? Have you been injured?**_

**I don't think he means a current wound Kurama-chan**

_The place where his hand pierced my chest…it still hurts from the pain of betrayal. _

_**You shouldn't think about that anymore…this is a new chance for you Naruto…you even have a new name**_

**Naruto-chan…sometimes it is good to hold onto painful memories…it makes you a better person, but there are times when you have to let painful memories go. Stop thinking about it…they won't betray you**

_The more I want to believe that, the more I think about it. The more I want to befriend these two, the more my heart hurts…I'm scared that they will turn out like Sasuke…turn to the dark path of revenge, burning everyone around them_

Kurama and Sennin were silent as they tried to comfort their wielder through the bond between a zanpaktou and his wielder

Suddenly there was a movement behind him

Naruto ducked just as a body flew above him and landed a few feet away from him. More people appeared, surrounding Naruto. Naruto narrowed his eyes at their uniform crests. The people surrounding him were upperclassmen and from the advanced class. Somehow he knew where this was going…

"Hey You!"

Naruto merely glanced at the one calling out to him

"Yeah, you! Who do you think you are, getting all chummy with Kuchiki-san and Ichimaru-san?! You're just a lower level student and yet they hang out with you!"

The others around him agreed with his sentiment

"You're just a dead last! Stop bringing down Ichimaru-san and Kuchiki-san!"

The people around him nodded, their bokken raised as if to attack him. Naruto let a smile cross his features as other people gathered around to watch the fight unfold, eager to see the dead last get a beating

"You caught me at a bad time…Normally I would have no problem talking this out or just agreeing with you, but I feel kind of pissed. I need something to relieve my stress…and you came to offer yourself so graciously to me…how kind"

At his words, those around him nervously squirmed where they stood as the onlookers watched with interest even as some ran off to spread the word of an oncoming fight

"What did you say?! You think a dead last is able to defeat us upperclassmen and advance students? Let's get him!"

With that, the group surrounding him charged as someone in the onlookers let out a scream of surprise at the fact that they would actually attack Naruto all at once

"Alright…let's play…onigokko…I will be the 'oni'. You better run before I grab you!"

* * *

><p>Gin and Byakuya looked up in surprise when the door to their classroom burst open, disturbing their lesson. The person who opened the door was Rangiku who looked to be out of breath<p>

"Gin…Byakuya…the upperclassmen and other students of the advance class are ganging up on Arashi!"

Both widened their eyes as other students and the teacher ran out the door, either to stop the fight or to watch. Nodding to each other, they both ran out the door with Rangiku hot on their trail

When they got to the courtyard where the fight was supposedly being held, their eyes widened in shock at the scene

* * *

><p>Naruto knocked out the last open with the hilt of his bokken before sighing dramatically crouching down to see the leader of the group-the first person to fall<p>

He poked the figure underneath him with the tip of his bokken, garnering a painful moan from the semiconscious person. Placing the tip of his sword underneath the chin, Naruto slowly brought his sword up, forcing the leader to look him in the eyes, which caused him to flinch back in fear

"The reason I do not want to be in the advanced classes is because I don't want to be a fighter. I want to work with the Fourth Division"

The leader chuckled weakly, as he sneered at Naruto

"The Fourth Division is weak…they never fight"

Naruto leaned down again and grabbed the leader's chin, his claw like nails digging into the unfortunate person's face. Tilting his head so that the light reflected his violet eyes, Naruto leaned in close so that his lips were right by the leader's ear. Speaking lowly so that no one could hear him but the person to whom he was speaking Naruto spoke in a soft and deadly voice

"And it is the weak Division that is going to heal your wounds…you better learn to respect your fellow comrades no matter their status or you might find yourself dying alone…"

Naruto dropped the leader's chin and turned around, only to be face to face with a crowd of students and teachers…and Byakuya and Gin

"Shit"

* * *

><p>Naruto sat seiza style on the floor, his feet tucked underneath him as he sat on his heels with a twenty pound cinderblock on his thighs<p>

"In all my years as a teacher, I have never seen such a shameful display"

There was a groan from behind Naruto as the other people involved also sat seiza style, but with their arms up holding a bucket of ice cold water

"Not only did the lot of you attack a single student but said student retaliated violence with violence instead of seeking help from a teacher!"

The rant went on for a good half hour…

"Just be glad that this will be a warning! All of you are dismissed!"

The group behind Naruto stood on shaky legs as they went back to their dorms. As Naruto stood to follow he was stopped by the headmaster

"Kazama-san"

Naruto turned around and faced the headmaster, his eyes staring straight and refusing to look away

"As part of your punishment…I am forcibly moving you to the advanced class which I know you have been purposely avoiding…"

* * *

><p>"And that's what happened"<p>

Naruto finished his tale to his two classmates as he sat with them in the advanced kido class.

"No way…they punished you by advancing you?!"

Byakuya merely stared at Naruto as if he was some anomaly that didn't fit in with his logic on crime and punishment, his pristine world of black and white…

A loud voice interrupted their conversation as the teacher called Naruto up to take his portion of the assignment

"Kazama Arashi, please come up here and recite the kido!"

As Naruto walked to take his position, he could hear whispers from the other students who were failing to hide their contempt and amusement

"_I bet he's going to fail"_

"_It was probably a fluke he got in here"_

"_I bet they staged that fight so that he would win…"_

As the other people lined up with him began their incantation, Naruto merely stepped forward and calmly called out the kido

"Hadou no. 4, Byakurai!"

Instead of a single arch of white lightning, the lightning from Naruto's fingers separated into three arches before disintegrating three targets each

The instructor stared at him in shock

"You can do it without incantations like Ichimaru and Kuchki?!"

Gin answered for him

"Of course…who did'ya think taught me an' Byak'ya"

Byakuya twitched before calmly turning to face Gin

"I understand that you will not call me Kuchiki-san but I demand that you pronounce my name properly…say it with me, Bya-ku-ya!"

"Tha's what I said, Byak'ya"

"Bya-ku-ya"

"Byak'ya"

"BYA-KU-YA!"

"Bya-kun"

"Ichimaru Gin! I'm going to have your head!"

* * *

><p>I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR BLEACH<p>

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	4. Chapter 4

The silver glow of the moon stood out in stark contrast against the inky black sky as thousands of twinkling stars paled in contrast to the moon's bright glow. Glowing pink cherry blossom petals danced in the night wind as they made their slow descend to the ground. The sound of waves crashing against the sandy shore and rocky cliff-side echoed throughout the still night in rhythmic beats as the scent of the salty breeze blew. Having found a decent sized branch to sit on, Naruto gazed below him and noticing the calmness, allowed himself to drift asleep in the calm, sil-

"Arashi! Get your ass down from that tree and come hang with us!"

"Calm yourself Ichimaru; we do not want to disturb the other patrons of the beach"

Gin scoffed before gesturing around him

"What other patrons? The school reserved the whole beach for the next three days. They called it a bonding exercise and survival training"

This caused Byakuya to lecture Gin about the proper conducts in a public space regardless of who was there or wasn't. Gin, being Gin, decided to mock Byakuya by making flapping motions with his hands, causing Byakuya to go into another lecture about politeness and respect

Sighing to himself, Naruto leaped off the branch, which was fairly high off the ground, and landed soundly on the balls of his toes, letting the cool white sand seep in between the spaces of his toes. As he shook off the excess sand, Naruto glanced up at Gin and Byakuya, only to find a large bento box in his face. Both of them had a small grin on their face as they held up a fishing pole

"Best way to catch fish is at night or early morning. Since all of us hate mornings…"

Gin let the sentence trail off as he had already made his point

Byakuya sighed and gave Naruto an apologetic glance and shoulder shrug to which Naruto responded with a resigned sigh and nod. They had gotten used to Gin's spontaneous nature and illogical ideas

"Sorry Arashi, I tried to tell him otherwise"

"No…it's okay," Naruto paused as he saw the disbelieving look on Byakuya's face, "No, really…I've gotten used to it"

Byakuya nodded his agreement as he watched Gin waving the fishing poles around while gesturing towards the small lake he had spotted a little while ago; it was a somewhat farther away than expected but it was away from the other students, thus allowing the three to relax around each other

* * *

><p>The three of them trudged back to where the others were camped. Byakuya maintained a stoic expression on his face, Naruto rubbed the bridge of his nose, and Gin was being dragged by the both of them while comically crying about their lack of luck in catching fish<p>

"But Whhhyyy?! I thought we would be able to catch a lot!"

"Like I keep telling you Gin, the reason we couldn't catch any fish was because you kept scaring them away with your loud laughter"

Gin whined while Byakuya kept trying to explain to his depressed companion

_Why do I hang out with them?_

That was the one thought going on inside of Naruto's mind as he helped drag his silver-haired companion with the help of Byakuya

When they finally reached the camping area, others were also making their way back for dinner; however, all were surprised when they realized the food that had been packed was either spoiled or stolen by wild animals. Realizing that there was no food, the students began to complain. The teachers tried to defuse the situation but realized that calming the students would be much more difficult than anticipated

"Now, now students, let's calm down and think about this positively, okay? Think of this as a training exercise"

This caused even more grumbles but it did calm the students down, if even a little bit

After the announcement was made, students began grouping up, dividing the work amongst themselves: some would be in charge of gathering and boiling water, some would gather firewood and start fires, some would find edible plants, and the unlucky ones would have to hunt

Byakuya, Gin, and Naruto were among the unlucky ones…

The three of them plus another five or so made their way to a small stream and tried their luck at fishing there, thinking that a rocky area would yield more fish and luck than the lake they had previously tried

Naruto's eye twitched as he watched the rest of the group try helplessly at catching fish

_Honestly, are they so spoiled and incompetent that they do not know how to wait patiently for the fish to bite?_

**Now, now Naruto-chan…they are antsy because they are hungry**

_Don't defend them Sennin_

_**They should learn how to be patient or at least fend for themselves**_

While Naruto had his inner conversation, someone from the group noticed he wasn't doing anything and decided to call him out

"Hey shorty! Are you so stupid and lazy that you can't help us catch fish?!"

Others started to agree with the comment. Byakuya and Gin made a move to defend Naruto, but he just waved them off and made his way towards the stream. When he made it to the stream, Naruto reached down and plucked out a decently sized rock and cracked it until only shards remained. Picking out the largest one, Naruto tested its weight before he climbed out of the stream and grabbed another rock. Gesturing for the others to leave the stream, Naruto concentrated on the movement of the water. A flash of silver caught his eye. Throwing the rock with accuracy, Naruto watched as a fish jumped out of the water in order to avoid the rock. At that instant, Naruto took his chance and threw the shard at the fish and watch as it was impaled on the tree on the other side of the stream

There was dead silence as the group stared wide eyed at the fish that was hanging limply from the tree, having been killed on impact

"There, I caught one to your none…I did something"

For the next hour, Naruto ended up catching most of the fish along with Byakuya and Gin who had picked up on his methods. When the fish got smart and avoided the rock by swimming to the side, Naruto went to a more manual method. Waiting until the fish was about to be in sight, Naruto stuck his hand into the water and grabbed the fish in the middle of its body, avoiding the sharp fins and tail

Because the trio did most(all) of the work, they made the rest of the group carry the fish and laughed as the rest of the group struggled in their effort to support the weight of the fish, well Gin and Naruto laughed, Byakuya just smirked

* * *

><p>When they returned to the campsite, others were already there. The students brightened at the sight of the fish and eagerly waited for the meal<p>

Byakuya and Gin were directing the students carrying the fish, making sure that everyone got an equal portion and making sure those who did little to no work got the barest and smallest of the fish. As this was happening, Naruto's eyes focused on the plants that the other students had gathered; his eyes narrowed when he saw a particular plant lying innocently among the rest, but his keen eyes, sense of smell, and knowledge alerted him to the deadly positional of the plant. It lay among the other berries that the students collected, which caused some concern to arise when Naruto noticed that there were at least three poisonous berries among every edible one. Luckily, all the plants had been gathered into one place, making the job easier. Crouching down, Naruto began his work of separating the poisonous plants from the non-poisonous ones. To his dismay, Naruto found that most of the plants gathered were poisonous ones. Making a mental note to talk to the teachers about including differentiating between harmless plants and poisonous ones into the curriculum, Naruto proceeded to remove all the poisonous plants, garnering the attention of one of the students

"Hey idiot, what do you think you are doing?!"

Other students gathered around to watch, pointing and whispering all too loudly

"Hey, those plants are for everybody!"

"Don't try and take them for yourself!"

"Are you that selfish?!"

At that comment, Naruto whirled around to face them, anger clear in his eyes as looked them dead in the eye

"If you incompetent fools haven't realized it yet, nearly all these plants are poisonous. Just by touching them one could get severe reactions"

"Then why are you touching them?!"

Naruto sighed and held up his hand, revealing a faint glow to them

"I am coating my hand in a thin layer of reishi, preventing the plants from making direct contact with my skin"

After hearing his explanation and seeing his skill, the other students grudgingly left Naruto to his work and proceeded to gather more plants, making sure to use the poisonous ones as a guide on what not to collect

As he watched the others leave, Naruto sighed and went to help the others start some more fires. Crouching low, Naruto stifled a yawn as he stared into the hypnotic flames. He jerked in surprise when one of the girls brought over some leaf wrapped berries for him to snack one. After checking to make sure the berried were non-lethal, Naruto ate one of the leaf wrapped berries, only to drop the rest in shock as he clutched his throat, gasping for air as he began to cough and gag

**Naruto-chan?!**

_**Oi, Naruto, are you alright?!**_

_I…I c-can't bre…ath…e_

Noticing what was happening, others rushed towards him, ready to help. The teachers brought over a medical kit, trying to think of a way to help with the basic supplies they had on hand

"Arashi, what's wrong?!"

Uncharacteristically it was Byakuya who asked the question with a frantic tone

"C-can't b-breathe"

Naruto managed to rasp out those two words before he went back to coughing and gagging, covering his mouth with his hand, only this time, when he brought it away from his mouth, crimson stained the palm of his hand

"What happened?"

Gin looked everybody dead serious in the eye, unnerving many of the students there who knew him as a carefree guy

The girl who gave Naruto the berries stepped forward and explained she had given him berries after making sure they weren't the poisonous kind

"T-the leaves you w-wrapped t-the berries in…we-were they…d-did they…have red stalks?"

After forcing himself through that question, Naruto vomited. Byakuya and Gin watched in concern and horror as they saw the crimson liquid that continued to pour out of their friend every time he vomited or coughed

The girl paused in surprise, her eyes widening in recollection and shock. The leaves had been a healthy green but the stalk had been red; however, due to many plants sharing the same attribute and being harmless, she had thought nothing of it

"Y-yes, but I know for certain that they aren't poisonous because I always have sweets made with that plant"

Naruto let out a soft curse at that information

"D-damn, I…I got c-careless…I didn't t-think that p-plant would g-grow here"

"What plant are you talking about? Rhubarb is harmless"

"R-rhubarb…the leaves of…the r-rhubarb plant are extremely d-deadly; the stalks are fine but the leaves were used in poisons because it was fast and effective"

**Rhubarb?! You ingested rhubarb?!**

_**How could you be so careless Naruto?! **_

_It's not like I had a choice. How was I supposed to know that it was rhubarb when that girl only gave me the green leaves?!_

"Arashi?!"

At the frantic call of his name, Naruto realized he had zoned out, causing his…classmates to panic

_**You're in danger of dying and you still can't admit Gin and Byakuya are your friends?!**_

"Yes?"

Whether he was responding to his name being called or answering the question, Naruto answered clearly

"What do we do?"

Naruto sighed as he shakily tried to brush his scarlet hair back from his face. The ordeal had paled his already pale skin and caused his purple eyes to glow in the dark with their wet sheen

"At this point there is really nothing to do. I have emptied out my stomach and have taken the emergence poison pill. I just need to ride out the final symptoms. Luckily I won't get kidney stones or fall into a coma, but I will have trouble bleeding and vomit blood for the next few hours"

At this, the other students nodded and went back trying to calm themselves, though the plants were avoided like the plague

* * *

><p>Gasping for air, Naruto's eyes snapped open as he sat upright in his tent, causing the other two occupants to stir awake. Upon seeing that their friend was alive and well, they proceeded to pelt him with pillows for disturbing their sleep. Chuckling at their antics, Naruto quietly left the tent as he made his way to the small lake to wipe away last night's sweat and blood. After making sure no one was around, Naruto opened his robes and put them in a pile on the boulder by the tree while he hung his fresh clothes and towel on the branch of a tree that blocked the view of prying eyes. He winced at the cold temperature of the water and waited a minute to adjust to the temperature before fully submerging himself in the lake. After ten minutes of scrubbing himself and submerging himself, Naruto stepped out of the lake and dried himself. He had just finished putting on his pants and wrapping cloth around his waist and stomach when he heard movement in the trees behind him. Before he could put on his shirt, he heard a gasp of surprise.<p>

Gin and Byakuya stepped out of the trees and stopped at the sight that met their eyes. There, upon Arashi's upper back was a horrid scar that stood out against the otherwise flawless skin. When Arashi whirled around in surprise, they saw that the scar was on his chest, right where his heart would be located. It looked as if someone had plunged a ball of electricity into his chest the way the scar webbed out. Before either Byakuya or Gin could comment, Arashi had tugged on his shirt and walked past them, leaving them to their curiosity and concern

"What was with that scar?"

"I do not know Gin, but it is our duty as comrades and friends to find out and possibly maim the person responsible"

"…you know, you're pretty blood thirsty for a noblemen aint'ya Byak'ya?"

"I will not respond as it would only serve your [purpose of aggravating me"

Gin laughed as he pointed out to Byakuya by saying he will not respond he has already responded, causing Byakuya to grab the branch nearest to him, rip it off, before wielding it as a sword in an attempt to beat Gin senseless

The next couple days passed without anything eventful happening much to the disappointment of the students and the relief of the teachers. It was also within those couple days that the students learned of their field exam which would include a simulation where groups of three would be sent out to exterminate the lower level Hollows with the guidance of senior students and instructors who had been told not to interfere unless absolutely necessary. The information caused excitement as student began grouping together in an attempt to go over the few things they have learned. The students also exchanged their excitement at finally being able to kill a Hollow

_Look at them, how can they be excited to kill? Are they that naïve? Don't they know that Hollows used to be souls?_

_**They can't help it Naruto; all their life they have been told that Hollows hold no emotion and are beings of evil**_

**It is sad isn't it? This world is just as ignorant as any other**

* * *

><p>Naruto glanced around anxiously as he looked for other members of his group. Others had already grouped together, leaving only a few students wandering around in the chaos. Just as he was about to wait and sit away from the others a hand touched his shoulder causing him to whirl around. Naruto laughed as he saw who his group members were. The other two chuckled also as they held up a piece of paper with the number seven on it, identical to the one Naruto held in his hand<p>

"We can't seem to escape each other"

_I can never escape that number after all, that accursed seven. Just how many teams will it split apart before it is satisfied?_

_**It is somewhat ironic that you got that number, especially with Gin and Byakuya**_

**I don't really like this. It feels almost like an omen; however, don't shut them out because of a number. I know you. If it is you, I know you can break that circle of fate**

Gin laughed as Byakuya sighed at the predicament they were in. Lately it seemed that the three of them had been grouped together for every assignment and project, though in this case, the fact that they knew each other fairly well would provide a benefit for them as they were pretty familiar with each other's fighting style

"While I think it is a good thing we were grouped together, I fear it will affect us negatively when we attempt to work with others. We are so used to working with each other that working with other people will throw us off balance"

Byakuya was silent for a moment before letting out a low whistle, a smirk evident on his face

"Did you say something intelligent, Gin?"

Though his words were harsh, the humor and respect evident in his eyes told Gin that Byakuya did not really mean to insult him. It reminded Naruto of the good old days; back when he and his team were still innocent and ignorant of the true world of war

* * *

><p>Naruto let out a string of curse words as he dodged the incoming strike from the rogue Hollow. What started out as a simple simulation soon became a bloody battle of survival as students and instructors rushed to get the situation under control. Not only did the robotic Hollows start malfunctioning and behaving as higher level Hollows, someone allowed a Hollow to enter into the academy training grounds. Already the Hollow had killed a senior student and injured dozens of others. The Hollow was completely different from what was taught at the academy.<p>

_Typical, the Academy tries to push all the Hollows into the same category _

_**Naruto, you can't really blame them for trying to keep things as simple as possible; after all, you did basically experience the same thing with the ninja academy. Don't you remember all the survival drills that turned out to be useless in real action?**_

**Besides Naruto-chan, the students and teachers are used to the behaviors of a simulation**

The claws of the Hollow startled Naruto from his thoughts as it crashed into the ground next to him, spraying debris and dust. Coughing, Naruto jumped away to safety, coming face to face with Byakuya and Gin. Silently conveying their thoughts, the trio stood back to back as the robotic Hollows and the rogue Hollow started to surround them. All was silent as the tension grew to near palpable measures

_This isn't right; why are all the Hollows attacking us?_

Naruto didn't have time to answer his own question as the rogue Hollow lunged forward, prompting the robotic Hollows to follow their programming and defer to the stronger Hollow's actions. Naruto readied himself and glanced to his sides; upon seeing that while Gin and Byakuya both seemed to have a level head but seemed too shocked and tired to respond properly, Naruto made the first move, hoping to buy some time for his comrades to snap out of their daze

_This situation seems somewhat familiar, except I was the one panicking the last time…_

Bringing his hands together, Naruto brought forth his reiryoku and watched as the reishi particles formed around him

"Bakudo no.8: Seki/Bakudo no.73: Tozansho…Tozanseki!"

Immediately the three were surrounded by a light blue barrier with sparks of electricity running along the outside. As the Hollows struck the barrier, they were repulsed and shocked by the currents, giving Naruto time to talk with Gin and Byakuya without having to worry about keeping up the barrier. Luckily, he had managed to create a prototype hybrid shield by combing the eighth and seventy-third bakudos; the spell itself was a little shaky as it took up twice the amount of reiryoku, but it does last longer and is more durable than when the spells are cast separately. He really had to owe it to Tsukabishi Tessai for thinking of such an idea beforehand but nor having the guts to test it out; the idea sparked an interest which led Naruto to creating the barrier

* * *

><p>Naruto turned to Gin and Byakuya; now that the situation was temporarily stalled, he would have time to talk with them and make a strategy to hopefully get them out alive…without revealing his secrets<p>

"Gin, Byakuya…we need to think of a plan!"

His urgent tone shook them from their shock as they both huddled around closer to discuss their next plan of action. Considering the situation, the best they could do is hope that the barrier lasts long enough and that they can hold out long enough against the Hollows until help arrives. The trio tightened their grip on their academy issued field swords. While the swords would be useless against a real Hollow, they would be suitable when battling against the robotic Hollow, though there has been rumors that starting in a few years, the academy will switch to low level Hollows by using Hollow bait and allow the students to receive their own swords early

A loud crack startled the three from their own respective thoughts as the barrier began to crack; only then did Gin and Byakuya notice the weakened state their friend was in from setting up the barrier and sending a constant flow to the barrier in order to keep it strong. Noticing their worried glances, Naruto waved them off, knowing that all of them needed to concentrate on surviving

_**You idiot! Hurry and get some help from them, you are going to collapse any moment now!**_

Naruto ignored the frantic cries and readied his sword as Gin and Byakuya readied theirs

The barrier shattered and the trio tensed with their blades at the ready and their blood frantically pumping through their veins as their hearts beat loudly in their chests

The first practice Hollow attacked from Gin's direction but was quickly disposed of. The second Hollow attacked Byakuya but was also quickly disposed of. The third met the same fate with Naruto's blade. After the sixth Hollow, the rest of them came faster and in multitudes. Soon the trio began to tire as the constant multitude of attacks wore them down. Upon noticing that Gin would be unable to block an attack from a Hollow, Byakuya jumped in between the Hollow and Gin and received a blow to the chest in his stead. Naruto and Gin watched in morbid fascination as blood began pouring out of Byakuya who collapsed onto the ground

"Nooooo! Byakuya. Wake up, hurry and wake up!"

The rogue Hollow began approaching the limp body, intent on having a meal. Just as the Hollow began to reach its claws toward the body, Gin stepped in the way and blocked the claw with his sword. Seeing the opportunity, Naruto began concentrating his reiryoku

"Gin, over here! Bring Byakuya here!"

Gin rushed over, holding Byakuya so as not to aggravate the wounds. Once the two were safely by his sides, Naruto cast the spell with some of his remaining energy

"Bakudo no.8: Seki!"

A small barrier appeared, and Naruto quickly switched places with Gin who while not able to cast the spell yet would still be able to power for a little while. Naruto brought his hands together and concentrated on creating a small layer of reishi around his hands. Once his hands began to glow, he brought them to Byakuya's chest. Slowly, but surely, the wound began to close to half of its severity. Byakuya opened his eyes and attempted to sit up, only to be stopped by a weary Naruto

"Don't, your wound is still severe, I only managed to not make it life-threatening so long as you stay still"

"Arashi! I don't know how long I can hold on!"

Byakuya and Naruto turned to face Gin who was looking paler than normal and rushed to assist him, meaning, Naruto rushed to assist him and stilled Byakuya with a 'kind' and 'gentle' smile

"Arashi, I want to help! I can't let you and Gin do all the work!"

The smile returned and Byakuya fell silent

Naruto relieved Gin of his duty and glanced carefully around him

_I wished to keep my secrets a secret, so I would never have to fear the betrayal of someone else revealing them, but these two have never failed me; they have never disappointed me. I feel as if I can trust these two…I want to trust them…because they are my precious comrades, my irreplaceable FRIENDS!_

"I want you both to promise that you will never reveal what I am about to do…please"

Seeing how sincere and pleading their friend was, Byakuya and Gin nodded, promising to get an explanation later

Cutting himself on the tip of his blade, Naruto began to draw symbols on the ground with rapid motions and watched as the symbols began to glow and spread outward in a spiral pattern. Once the symbols stopped spreading and glowing, the trio saw that the symbols had attached themselves to the Hollows. Bringing his hands together, Naruto released a small wave of reiatsu and watched as the Hollows began to disappear, leaving the rogue Hollow severely injured but still alive. Naruto watched as the symbols disappeared, signaling he was out of reiatsu

"Damn it!"

Suddenly, the sound of running feet and rustling cloths drew their attention as shinigami appeared before them. The last thing Naruto saw and heard was a flash of purple hair and Byakuya's voice saying

"You're late you demon cat"

* * *

><p>I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR BLEACH<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR BLEACH**

**SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE**

* * *

><p><em>What am I doing? I'm supposed to be doing something right now; why am I here? Where is here?<em>

_What did I forget? Was there even anything to forget?_

_I can't remember what I forgot, but I know that it's really important to me. I know that it's something precious, something warm…_

_It's dark…I'm scared; I can't open my eyes! I can't see any of you! I don't want to be alone. Somebody, anybody, please…help me!_

_It's lonely, it's scary…_

_Why can't I open my eyes? Should I just rest here? It feels comfortable enough…_

…_**shi…!**_

_**Ar…shi!**_

_**Arashi!**_

_Arashi…that's right; that's the name I'm using. Who's calling me? Why can't I see you?_

_**Wake up!**_

_I'm sleeping?_

_**Open your eyes!**_

_I can't…they feel too heavy!_

_**Wake up! We're here for you!**_

_What's this, this feeling? It's warm, but it also feels hurtful? Is it possible to be comforted and hurt by something at the same time?_

_**Everything's okay now…you can wake up! Arashi, trust us…**_

_Ah, now I remember what I forgot. It's-_

* * *

><p>Naruto's eyes snapped open, his purple eyes shining with unshed tears<p>

To his surprise, Gin and Byakuya were hovering over him with concerned gazes, though other people would say otherwise.

"You're awake"

At the sound of a new voice, all three turned their heads towards the door; there, holding onto a tray of medicine, stood an awkwardly dressed Tessai-and I mean awkward. The bulky, dark skinned man was wearing what appeared to be a nurse's outfit with a pink frilly apron on while his glasses gleamed ominously. The man (?) carried a tray with what looked like medicine on it.

"Tessai, what is with the ridiculous outfit?"

The man giggled, sending shivers down the three boys' back as he blushed, actually blushed and covered his face with a gloved hand.

"I'm glad you noticed Byakuya-_kun, _it makes me so happy"

At the emphasis on the suffix, Byakuya felt himself pale as a shiver ran down his spine.

Tessai then turned his attention to Naruto, who was desperately trying to remain unseen by the large and rather eccentric man.

"Ah, Kazama-chan, it is good to see than you are awake and well. If you'll allow me to treat your wounds, I'll get started right away"

"No, no…please, no need for suffixes"

**Ara…Naruto-chan is embarrassed, how cute**

_**Hahahaha, this is great! You're being hit on by a tranny!**_

At the sudden intrusion of Kurama and Sennin, Naruto twitched; however, the other occupants of the room took the twitch as a wince, spurring Tessai into action. Gin and Byakuya took the opportunity to escape, ignoring Naruto's curses and his screams of revenge

_Don't worry Arashi; we'll pray for your chastity…_

"Gin! Byakuya! I'll get you for this-gyaaaa,

The scream echoed throughout the compound as members of the Shihoin clan glanced around for the source of the noise

Another high pitched and panicked scream resounded through the compound

"Don't touch there!"

It was at the third scream that the clan members realized that Tessai was treating another victim-patient-the term is patient

"What are you-"

They shook their heads sadly at the poor soul who was under Tessai's care

"Stop this!"

_Good luck young one!_

* * *

><p>Naruto sat under the shade of the cherry blossom tree, shivering uncontrollably every now and then as a few tears managed to escape from his eyes. Gin and Byakuya chuckled at his actions.<p>

"It's not funny! I felt like I was about to be raped!"

Byakuya and Gin only smirked in response

"I see that you're being lively this morning"

The playful voice cut through the conversation. The three turned and were met with the sight of a purple haired young woman with tanned skin and golden eyes; she was wearing what looked like a shinibi outfit

"She-cat, what are you doing here?"

"This is my compound little Kuchiki; I did save your sorry asses out there"

Naruto felt a sudden chill in the air as Tessai appeared beside him; Naruto's animal instincts automatically made him seek comfort in the alpha of the group, and headed straight towards the purple haired girl, burying his face into her stomach as he whimpered

"Damn Tessai, what did you do to the poor kid?"

"I apologize Yoruichi-dono"

Yoruichi rubbed Naruto's head in a calming manner; Naruto began to purr as he rubbed his head against her hand, causing Yoruichi to stop petting him.

Naruto froze as he realized what he just did, and glanced around nervously, afraid of what he would see…

Byakuya and Gin had smirks on their faces, Tessai looked as weird as ever; hoverever, Yoruichi had the scariest look on her face: her eyes were shining as her hand began to twitch uncontrollable, Naruto swore he saw a bit of drool escape her mouth

Naruto felt himself pale for the umpteenth time that day

* * *

><p><em>Why is it dark?<em>

_When did I fall asleep?_

Those were the dominant thoughts of one Uzumaki Naruto. Suddenly, the darkness disappeared to show a scene that had the young boy cringing.

_Naruto found himself as a child shivering in the cold as he huddled against the wall, desperately trying to get away from the drunken man in front of him; his eyes widened when other people started to join the man, every single one of them holding a look of hatred in their eyes_

"_You fucking monster! You killed so many people and yet you dare try to live a happy life?! How cruel can you be? How much more do you want us to suffer?! You don't deserve happiness!"_

_The words seemed to echo as Naruto desperately tried to hide the tears that were spilling out_

_The scene shifted:_

_Naruto stood holding a ball in his hand, looking forlornly at the retreating backs of the other children; they had been having fun before the parents came and uttered the same words he had been hearing since he could understand speech_

"_Don't play with him; he's a monster"_

_Not one of the children looked back at the boy they were playing happily with just moments before, for if they had, they would have noticed silent tears falling to the ground as the blonde whispered_

"_I'm not a monster…I just wanted a friend"_

_The scene shifted again:_

"_Why?! Why, can't I get it right?! Why can't I get strong? Why won't people acknowledge me?"_

_Young Naruto shouted these words as he pounded a tree until his knuckled split and bled_

_Suddenly, the scene seemed to fast forward as Naruto saw the face of Haku_

"_You can become truly strong when you protect what's precious to you"_

_The scene shifted:_

_Naruto watched as Sasuke walked away; the teammate he considered his brother in all but blood punched a hole in his chest and walked away_

"_Why does everyone I care about leave me alone in the end?"_

_**Naruto…**_

Naruto suddenly found himself in an open grassy field, staring up at the star scattered sky, the scent of forget-me-nots and lilies filled the air. Naruto brought a small hand to his cheek and was surprised to find that it was wet

"I'm crying…?"

"_**Naruto…don't cry; we're here for you, never forget that"**_

"**Naruto-chan, it's okay to feel sad, but never forget there are people who will share your sadness with you"**

Naruto stared into the shining purple eyes of Sennin before he glanced at Kurama who stood proudly; his dark red hair swayed in the breeze as his crimson eyes looked warm. Kurama brought his arms up in an unfamiliar gesture

"_**Come here…"**_

Slowly walking towards Kurama, Naruto hesitantly allowed himself to fall into Kurama's embrace and resisted the urge to flinch when Kurama brought his arms around the small figure of Naruto.

_It's warm…is this what it feels like to be wanted?_

Sennin came over and brushed Naruto's hair out of his eyes, which broke the wall Naruto was keeping up

Tears streamed down Naruto' face, but still the broken child refused to make a sound of sadness; slowly, almost hesitantly, Naruto brought his arms up and hugged Sennin and Kurama

"Only you two…I can deal with the pain of betrayal if you two stay by my side…"

* * *

><p>When Naruto opened his eyes, he found himself sleeping under a canopy of trees. The wind blew across them, making the shadows of the leaves dance across his face. Glancing up, Naruto was blessed with the sight of a bright full moon and a sky filled to the brim with twinkling stars. It seemed that some deity out there decided to bless Naruto with the sight of a meteor shower; Naruto watched in awe as hundreds of streaks of light flew across the sky into the beyond.<p>

"They all look so beautiful; especially the light blue colored one. It almost seems like it is getting closer…Holy Fuck! It _is _getting closer!"

With barely a second to spare, Naruto jumped out of the way- in time to see the spot he previously occupied reduced to ashes. Bringing his hands together in the universal gesture for a prayer, Naruto thanked whatever deity had saved him.

As the smoke began to clear, Naruto could see that the meteor was no mere meteor; inside the core, rested a small aquamarine colored jewel, perfectly cut and shimmering in the heat. The jewel looked familiar; in fact, it looked just like-

Getting closer, to the jewel, Naruto let out a small bark of laughter

There, nestled in the meteorite, was an exact replica-

"I can't really call it a replica if it's the real thing…"

Gently, Naruto pulled the stone from the meteorite and grasped close to his chest

* * *

><p>The shrill sound of the bell startled Naruto from his daydream; all around him students were chattering excitedly as they prepared for a semester break. Byakuya and Gin were patiently waiting for Naruto by the door, their arms filled with books to get ahead on reading. Naruto let a small chuckle out as he gathered his things and prepared to leave. Byakuya had invited both Gin and Naruto to stay with him over the break; Gin had refused the invitation, stating that he would spend the break with Rangiku, earning a smirk from both Naruto and Byakuya; Naruto, seeing no reason to refuse, accepted the offer.<p>

Naruto stretched his limbs and let out a satisfied purr when he felt the stiff joints pop back into place. Gin and Byakuya turned towards him, a smile on their faces, their hands outstretched.

"Come on Arashi, we don't have all day"

_Ne…Kurama, Sennin. I think I remember the feeling I forgot. It was this; this warm and beautiful feeling. It's so warm and beautiful that it hurts, but…you know, I think I can deal with this kind of hurt. It's not bad…this feeling of 'love'_

* * *

><p>It was dark and cold; the moon looked unforgiving in the stormy night sky; its cold silver glare seemed to mock him as he lay on the equally unforgiving ground. The people walked on by without a second glance; their harsh whispers mocking him in his pathetic state<p>

_Is this how I die? On the ground, like a fucking dog?_

The scent of food directly in front of his nose brought the man out of his dark thoughts

_When did-?_

"Hey…are you still alive? Don't tell me you're dead."

"Shut up brat; I'm still alive"

The man had to strain his ears to hear the soft rustle of cloth; the act itself was new to him since he generally had very sharp senses

"My name's not brat old man it's-"

"I don't care about your name; leave, you're bothering me"

"Ne, old man, what's your name?"

"Don't have one; leave me alone before I find the strength to kill you"

"Ara? You're one scary man….then, Ja ne; I'll see you around old man"

* * *

><p><em>I'm in this fucking position again?! How did I let myself sink so low?! I won't fucking die here like a damned animal. I will defeat that person and be named the strongest!<em>

"Ne, old man, you're in the same position you were in the last time I saw you"

The man made no response, he just laid there, eerily quiet

"Are you dead?"

"….Like hell"

* * *

><p>When the man opened his eyes, he saw a piece of paper lying on the ground next to him<p>

_I fixed your wounds old man,_

_Be grateful to me; the next time we meet I hope I can see you as a strong person_

_As a parting gift to you, I will give you the name Zaraki Kenpachi; the name given to the strongest swordsman; don't let it go to waste_

Kenpachi turned his head towards the sound of rustling leaves and widened his eyes as he caught sight of a small figure with scarlet hair walking away from

"Zaraki Kenpachi….hahaha, I like it!"


	6. Chapter 6

**I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Bleach**

_The sky was a dark grey as rain fell from the thundering and flashing clouds; a constant shower of water fell upon the rapidly darkening ground. The sweet smell of clean water permeated the air as a figure stood at the edge of the valley; two statues stood facing each other. In the distance, flashes of light and metal moved in rapid motion._

_The figure cupped his right hand as if to catch the rain drops; a sickening sound of flesh piercing flesh was heard_

_Slowing, the clear rain drops turned a blood red_

_The hand parted and the red liquid fell in between his fingers_

_The metallic scent of blood permeated the area as a trail of liquid fell down the figure's cheek; whether the liquid was a tear, blood, or merely the rain was a mystery_

_The scene restarted_

_As the figure once again stood being drenched in the blood red rain, two other figure came up behind him and held an umbrella over his head_

"_**What are you doing Naruto?"**_

"_Kurama?"_

"**Don't forget me!"**

"_Sennin?"_

"_**Let's get you out of this rain"**_

* * *

><p>Naruto woke up to the sight of Byakuya leaning over him with a worried expression upon his face; the noble's dark eyes searched his face before leaning back<p>

"Thank goodness you woke up; I've been calling your name for a while, but you didn't respond"

"Sorry, I had a nightmare"

As the noble opened his mouth to ask a question, the tormented expression upon his friend's face made him pause as he changed his question

"Are you alright, Arashi?"

The only answer Byakuya received was a small smile

* * *

><p>As the two students sparred in the training grounds of the Kuchiki house, Ginrei calmly walked towards his grandson and his grandson's friend, observing the two. His silver brows raised at his grandson's relaxed manner; normally, his grandson was brash and quick to anger; however, Byakuya seemed to be in a calm state of mind-<p>

"Oi! Bya'kya!"

The sound of the bokken snap was heard as Byakuya slowly turned to greet his 'guest'

"Ichimaru-san, how nice of you to join us today"

"What's up with that convoluted way of speaking?"

"What did you say?!"

As the Gin and Byakuya got into a heated argument, with Gin laughing at Byakuya's temper, Arashi tried to pacify the two.

Ginrei watched the trio with a fond expression upon his aged face; it was rare for Byakuya to be able to be himself in front of other people. The kind grandfather only hoped that the peace would last for a while longer

"Ginrei-dono"

The quiet whisper of his name caused the head of the Kuchiki Clan to turn his head towards the messenger. Words where whispered between the two before Ginrei dismissed the messenger.

"Byakuya"

The sound of the elder Kuchiki's voice startled the three from their actions; as one, the three turned to stare at Ginrei

"What is it grandfather?"

"The other Nobles have agreed upon a decision to induct the Uchihas as a Noble House"

"What?! But, grandfather, they are the ones who started the rebellion all those years ago!"

"I know, but it was a majority vote; I expect you to be cordial with them at the next joint session"

As Byakuya grumbled, Ginrei noted the expressions on his grandson's companions

Gin held a confused yet uninterested expression, however Arashi…

Arashi's eyes were wide with shock, his pupils kept dilating and shrinking as the pale complexion turned into a sickly grey; Ginrei also noted that Arashi's breathing quickened to the point of hyperventilation as his shaking hands tightened on the bokken, splintering it. Drops of blood fell from Arashi's hand and onto the ground.

Before Ginrei could ask the boy if he was alright, Arashi removed all expression from his face and body, before calmly turning to Byakuya and smiling. If it weren't for the fact that he saw the sudden change, Ginrei would have believed that nothing was wrong with the boy

'_**Those cursed Uchihas! Release me Naruto, let me taste their blood!'**_

'**Calm down Kurama!'**

'_Both of you calm down! Remember, this is a different world, I will not judge them based on past sins…"_

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, Zaraki Kenpachi grinned as he introduced himself to his new squad, a pink haired girl hanging from his shoulders also grinned<p>

* * *

><p>Naruto sat with the rest of his friends as the Head Captain made the graduation speech; most of it was a celebratory sort of induction and the rest was the responsibilities the newly named shinigami would have<p>

As Byakuya entered the stage to make his speech as the top of the class, Naruto couldn't help but grin; when Byakuya finished his speech, Naruto was one of the few who clapped and cheered the loudest. As all the newly name shinigami began to leave to their new barracks, Naruto hurried to find Gin and Byakuya.

"Oi, Arashi, you're too slow"

Naruto only grinned in return

"As I was saying, I want you and Gin to come to my house for a celebratory party; most of the other advanced class students will be there along with some of the Nobles, so you would have to dress formally, but I have already made arrangements for the outfit"

Naruto and Gin glanced at each other

"We don't really have much of a choice, do we?"

Byakuya smirked

* * *

><p>The dark blue kimono and hakama contrasted nicely with Naruto's scarlet hair, his zanpaktou was strapped to his side alongside two bells. As Naruto began tying the ribbon into his hair, he heard a sudden voice, and knew immediately that it was the current Soul King<p>

"_**Naruto, complications have arisen. That girl Shion remembers her previous life; I believe it is because of her mystic powers in life, but don't worry, I already told her of everything. Now, let me tell you the plan…"**_

Naruto tightened the ribbon in his hair and opened the door

"I receive and obey your command"

* * *

><p>"Oi, Bya'kya, when will Arashi arrive? He's late…I'm bored, you're no fun~"<p>

Wanting nothing more than to punch the annoying silver-haired companion in the face, Byakuya tightened his hands into fists. Guests were around, some of them from the most prominent families, and he would not shame the Kuchiki family by acting so uncouth.

"Gin, you're bothering Byakuya, stop it"

"Arashi!"

The two boys turned to greet their friend, and both were shocked by how well he pulled off his outfit; then they noticed the dark circles under his eyes; Arashi's usually milky-white complexion seemed a pasty shade instead of its usually healthy glow, coupled with the dark purplish bruises under his eyes, Arashi looked like someone who hasn't had one good wink of sleep

"Arashi…? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I just haven't had much sleep lately because I'm so nervous about meeting my new captain; I heard she's really nice but has a scary side"

The three spent the next several moments discussing their current squad and what they hoped to achieve; their conversation was interrupted as the Kuchiki servants announced the arrival of an important guest

"Lady Shion, the High Priestess has arrived!"

Byakuya turned to stare in shock

"What is the High Priestess doing here?!"

As if called, Ginrei appeared by Byakuya and looked solemnly at the scene

"I invited her here as is customary, but never would I have dreamed she would accept my invitation; she has never done so before, on any occasion"

Gin decided to comment on Shion's looks

"She looks a little young to be a High Priestess"

Ginrei let out a small scoff

"Don't be fooled, from what I know, she has looked like that since the last Great Rebellion; she is just an old hag-"

Shion suddenly appeared in front of the four, a smile on her face. Up close, Naruto was irritated to find that Shion was taller than him, given that he is currently in the body of a fourteen year-old; he steeled his nerves for what was about to come

"Oh my, Ginrei-dono, I do thank you for inviting me to this celebration; it is my honor to meet the future protectors of Seireitei."

As she spoke, the irritated aura around her seemed to grow; Ginrei moved to defuse the irritated priestess

"Shion-sama may I introduce my grandson Byakuya and his two friends Ichimaru Gin and Kazama Arashi"

_Damn you Grandfather!_

Was the thought of one Kuchiki Byakuya before Shion's voice broke his train of thought…

"Arashi…?"

Shion's voice sounded small and confused, but there was a hint of hope in her voice as she subconsciously made a small connection. Naruto stepped forward, a smile on his face

"It is a pleasure to meet you Shion-sama"

The loud shattering of the tea cup silenced the room as everyone turned to stare at the source of the sound. Shion stood with her hands covering her mouth as tears gathered in her eyes. Rushing forward, Shion gathered Naruto in her arms, his head pulled into her shoulder…

"You're alive! I always wondered…but, but…!"

_What happened to the pan?!_

_**Heheh…actually, there was no plan! Sorry!**_

_Damn you!_

Naruto brought his hand to gently push her away before reaching out to grasp her hands

"Don't cry Shion-sama …"

Face turning serious, Shion faced Naruto

"How?"

Naruto glanced at the others around the room

"It's better if we have a private talk; besides, I need to explain a few things to you"

Shion nodded, as she wiped her eyes, a bright smile stretched across her lips

"Anything for my best friend!"

As the two left the room, Ginrei couldn't help but sigh at the whispered words of his grandson and his friend

"_Who does she think she is?!"_

"_Yeah, Arashi is OUR best friend"_

"_That old hag!"_

* * *

><p>Naruto glanced at the blooming cherry blossom tree; its bright pink petals seemed to glow in the light of the moon as a sweet breeze blew around the two in the garden<p>

"…so that's what happened?"

Naruto nodded, his eyes still trained on the tree; Shion came up beside him and glanced at the tree,

"Beautiful isn't it?"

"Why is it considered beautiful? After the petals stop blooming, the tree will be as ordinary as any other"

Shion laughed and reached out to touch the tree; it seemed to bloom ever more beautifully under her touch; as Naruto glanced over, he noticed her hand had a thin layer of reishi. Shion began to speak once more

"I think the cherry blossom tree is beautiful because for a short while it can shine brighter than all other trees…"

"Trees don't shine"

A tick mark appeared on her temple as Shion glanced at Naruto

"It's a figure of expression"

As Naruto turned to walk back to the party, Shion stopped him by grabbing his hand

"Naruto…even though I stopped loving you romantically…I want you to know you are still one of my first friends and I will support you in any way that I can, so please…believe in me?"

Turning around just as the moon seemed to shine directly on the two, Naruto let a brilliant smile cross his face

"Don't steal my line…"

* * *

><p>Naruto steeled his nerves as he stood outside his captain's office; in just a few moments, he would be considered a part of the Fourth Division as its ninth seat. Normally, graduates would begin as unseated officers, but due to the shortage of Fourth Division members and with the school's recommendation, Naruto was appointed a seated position<p>

"Please come in…"

Naruto opened the door to the office and was surprised to find his captain looking so young

"Unohana-taicho, it is an honor to meet you; I hope we can work together for the protection of our comrades."

"Unohana raised her brow at her subordinate's choice of words

"Work together? Not under me?"

"No, I believe in teamwork and comradeship…I will follow your orders but if one day I should feel your orders clash with my morals I will go by my moral, and I will accept the punishment"

"Interesting…"


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Bleach**

**I haven't updated in such a long time**

**I hope this is okay**

**It's still a bit short though…**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thud…<strong>_

_**Thud…**_

_**Thud…**_

_The sound of footsteps?_

_No…_

_It's the sound of a heart beating._

_Naruto opened his eyes and found himself laying atop of Sennin and Kurama. The sound he was hearing was the steady rhythm of Kurama's heartbeat. _

_A nice sound…calm and steady. Naruto pushed himself off and sat straight. The other two rose and also sat._

_A bright moon illuminated the night sky as the wind rustled the leaves on the trees. An eternal shower of cherry blossoms flowed through the space as three figures sat under the tree and watched as the petals danced._

"_Don't cry, Naruto…"_

_Sapphire blue eyes swam with unshed tears as blonde hair swayed in the breeze. The cherry blossoms began to burn up as smoke surrounded the three. Next to Naruto, a giant tree caught on fire. As the ash fell down around them, Naruto looked at Sennin and Kurama with a heartbroken expression._

"_I knew I shouldn't have opened my heart…"_

* * *

><p>Two purple eyes opened and watched as the sunlight streamed through the windows. Golden rays danced across the white sheets of his futon as the morning birds sang their song. The sour stench of the hospital permeated the air. With a deep sigh, Naruto pushed away the covers and got ready for another day.<p>

Five years ago…

Five years ago it all started to fall apart…

* * *

><p><em><strong>One year after graduation…<strong>_

_Naruto passed by Byakuya and his grandfather. They were walking with a group of Uchihas. As he passed them, the Uchihas threw a cold look at Naruto, but Byakuya ignored the scene and continued to walk on by…_

_He never looked back_

_The shadow behind Byakuya seemed to grow longer and darker, but no matter how much it grew, it never reached Naruto's own shadow which desperately reached its hand out._

_It was a lonely scene._

_**Two Years after graduation…**_

_Naruto walked down the familiar path to go see Gin. In his hands he held two small bentos and another wrapped box. As he ran under the moonlit sky he came upon a horrifying scene._

_Quickly hiding behind a tree, Naruto observed the scene._

_Gin held a bloody sword as bodies lay beneath him. Aizen stood behind Gin with an amused look on his face. As Aizen went on to rant about his schemes to the last dying member, Gin's gaze focused on Naruto. As their eyes met, Naruto held back a gasp of horror._

_Gin's face was decorated with blood as a small smirk graced his lips._

_Naruto turned away._

_Before walking away, Naruto sent one last look at Gin, but the silver haired boy turned his head away and walked towards Aizen. The moon illuminating his silver head. A lonely shadow followed the silver child…_

_With his back against the tree, Naruto slid down and held his head in his hands._

"_Why Gin…? Why did you do those things with such a sad look in your eyes?! Do the words comrade and friend mean nothing to you?!"_

_Gazing at the moon with a heartbroken expression Naruto could see the lonely shadow…_

"_You idiot…you could have asked for help."_

_With that, Naruto dusted himself off and headed towards another direction, not once did he look back…_

_**Three Years after Graduation…**_

_Naruto knocked on the door to the Sixth Squad's main room._

_A cold voice called him in to enter…_

"_Just drop off the papers over there"_

"_Byakuya-"_

"_It's lieutenant Kuchiki to you, ninth seat"_

_Dropping off the papers, Naruto exited the room. Ginrei-dono stood by the door with a sad expression on his face. He gently touched the shoulder of the person his grandson once called best-friend and spoke in a soft whisper to Naruto._

"_Please don't hate that child…he-"_

_Naruto gently shrugged the hand off and gazed at Ginrei with a sad expression._

_He walked away._

_**Four years after graduation…**_

_Gazing coldly at the body that lay at his feet, Naruto flicked the blood off his katana. Purple eyes shone in disgust, not at the person in front of him, but at his own actions._

_He sheathed his sword and knelt down._

_He took the blood stained badge off the cooling body and presented it to his captain, but she shook her head. With cold hands, she wrapped the badge on his left arm._

_A blood-stained trophy…_

_**Five Years after graduation…**_

"_From now on, Urahara Kisuke and Shihoin Yoruichi are considered traitors to Seireitei…"_

_Byakuya turned away…_

_Gin looked indifferent, as always…_

_Naruto left through the window…_

* * *

><p>The Fourth Squad Barracks were having a rare quiet day.<p>

Normally the barracks were noisy with uncooperative patients and the chaos of a shinigami being carried in for emergency treatment. Today was a quiet day and Naruto took the moment to relax. Gazing at the falling leaves Naruto smiled.

The quiet moment was ruined when the sounds of surprise and shock echoed through the barracks. The sounds were so loud, other squads came running to check. The Sixth and Third Squad included.

The reason being?

High Priestess Shion stood outside the Fourth Squad doors without her bodyguards or attendants. She simply had one male behind her holding an intricate parasol and in her hands she carried two boxes. One was obviously a bento while the other seemed to be a present.

The shinigami gathered around the building, trying to see who the bento and present was for.

They all gasped in shock when Kazama Arashi walked out with a bored expression on his face. Most of the other shinigami walked away in disappointment. Over the last two years, Naruto worked hard on building his image. To the other squads he was a happy-go-lucky lieutenant who is somewhat skilled at healing while to his Squad, he is their fierce leader who tries to put on a smile. He is also called the second coming of Unohana by some of his own team members for his ability to be threatening with a smile on his face.

"Arashi-chan good morning"

"Good Morning, Shion-sama"

"Mou, I told you to call me one-sama, didn't I?"

Naruto looked away with a deadpan look on his face.

"Why should I call an old hag like you nee-san?"

The shinigami still present held their breath. No one insulted the High Priestess Shion and lived to tell the tale. However, instead of the chaos they were expecting, Shion just laughed.

"You haven't changed at all, have you?"

A foxy grin was the answer to her question.

Shion held out the ribbon covered box to Naruto, who looked at it in confusion. Shion laughed before stopping. She looked at him in disbelief.

"I knew you were an idiot, but are you so much of one you forgot your own birthday?!"

Shion glanced at Naruto's startled figure and let out a sigh. After the graduation ceremony after-party, she received a rare audience with the Spirit King and he explained the situation to her, along with Naruto's back story. In order to repay her debt Shion decided to help in any way she can, including celebrating birthdays.

"Let's start this over…Happy Birthday Arashi-dono!"

In their disbelief, nearly all the shinigami present missed the suffix at the end, except for a certain smiling captain with a single braid down the front.

* * *

><p>"Ugh…bleh…kuk…"<p>

"ARASHI-DONO…hang in there!"

A team of Shion's personal medics wheeled Naruto away, his face pale and sweat running down his forehead. Shion stood to the side with a disappointed look on her face.

"Tch…I thought I finally got the ingredients right this time"

A group of kitchen maids surrounded the young priestess with horrified looks on their faces.

"Shion-sama, we thought we told you to never step foot in the kitchen again after the incident with your other attendant!"

There was a moment of silence…

Shion turned away and left.

"Shion-sama! You can't just ignore this incident!"

* * *

><p>Naruto walked down the familiar road to his barracks. His right arm curled around his stomach in a soothing manner while his left supported his body. The cool night air did wonders for his nausea. Sennin and Kurama whispered words of sympathy.<p>

The moon shone brightly.

The sand shifted beneath his feet…

_Sand…?_

* * *

><p>The alarms blared through the dark night. Shinigami from every squad were up and about, trying to find the Hollow that managed to sneak its way into Seireitei.<p>

But a lone figure rushed towards a place no one would think to look.

At the tallest building in Seireitei, a lone figure stared at the moon. It made no indication to move, even when another figure landed behind it, sword drawn and ready to fight. The moon shone brightly in the dark sky and pale green eyes gazed longingly at the silver orb.

"I knew you would be here…you always had a love-hate relationship with the moon."

"Naruto…"

"It's Arashi now…Gaara."

Standing under the moon's light, a masked figure turned around. A quarter of his face was covered in a bone mask. From what was visible, the mask was the face of a tanuki…a raccoon. Red hair shone as brightly as ever while dark bags hung under the jade green eyes. Lips that were drawn into a tight frown lifted slightly. But the eyes were empty.

"Will you end my suffering?"

Naruto laughed, hair swaying in the wind as sand danced around Gaara.

"I can't really do anything with your sand like that."

Gaara sighed and turned to look at the moon once more. A single tail materialized from behind and swayed side to side.

"I might have been able to fight for my sanity, but instincts won't die. I know that my existence needs to be put down, but I can't help but want to live. Please, I'm asking you-no, begging you…kill me before I hurt others."

Naruto smiled, eyes closed and lips trembling…

"You always make selfish requests…"

Then he moved.

* * *

><p>At the sounds of a fight, various shinigami moved towards the direction with their swords drawn and body tense, ready for battle. Two lieutenant also appeared at the scene. One had shining silver hair while the other had shimmering dark hair. The silver one held an amused look on his face as always while the dark one had an indifferent look on his face as always.<p>

But both their eyes widened when they saw Naruto fight the humanoid Hollow.

Cuts and bruises decorated the white skin and sweat ran down his face, but he refused to give up. At the presence of others around him, Naruto lost his focus for one instant and in that short period of time, sand wrapped around his body, drawing cries of shock and warning. Just as the sand covered his face, Naruto smirked and bared his fangs.

"Boom"

An explosion of sand and fire caused dirt and debris to fly around, giving Naruto enough time to draw his zanpaktou and utter his incantation.

"_Though you curse this path of sacrifice and resent the shackles of faith, release your hatred and carry the burden; come forth Jinchuuriki"_

A shining red light burst forth as shackles and chains began wrapping themselves around his arm. Through training, through his blood sweat and tears…Naruto managed to unlock a newer level to his Shikai.

While Gaara was still blinded from the light and excess debris, Naruto leapt forward.

"_Shackle"_

Chains erupted from the ground and wrapped themselves around Gaara who began to struggle. Sand beat against the locks trying to tear them apart.

"It's useless Gaara; those chains are made from Reishi and won't dissolve until I tell it to"

"_Weight"_

A powerful force brought Gaara down to his knees, the sand lay listless on the ground, but Naruto knew to be more than cautious.

With this spare hand, Naruto drew the kanji for 'love' and brought it down onto the bone covered mask. It began to shatter. The bone fragments dissolved into the night air and towards the moon.

"Goodnight Gaara"

A spray of blood landed on Naruto who had stabbed his zanpaktou through Gaara's heart.

A bloody hand came up to rest upon his cheek and Naruto resisted the urge to flinch; his purple eyes shone with tears as his breath came out in harsh sobs.

"Thank you…my friend."

The body seemed to disappear in a shower of moonlight.

Naruto knew Byakuya and Gin were watching him, but he paid no attention to them. All he wanted to do was go home and wash off the blood…

* * *

><p>As Naruto sat on the window, gazing at the moon, he felt himself being called to his mindscape and closed his eyes.<p>

When he opened them, he stood facing the statue of a raccoon and placed his hand over heart of the statue. A moment later, quiet thumps echoed through the still air and grew in strength after each beat. The stone began to crack and the figure began to morph. The sandy colored fur retreated into a tanned complexion, the plump body thinned out as dark robes fell around the figure. A staff materialized in its hands and golden eyes opened to meet purple.

"Naruto…"

"Shukaku"

"I'm going to sleep"

* * *

><p>Opening his eyes, Naruto felt a strange weight in his hands. Upon looking, he saw a small figurine in the shape of a raccoon.<p> 


End file.
